Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
FALL -OUTS FROM NDC PARLIAMENTARY PRIMARIES- A WARNING SIGNAL TO THE ‘GREEDY BASTARDS’
The past weekend has been an interesting one for all political watchers in Ghana and elsewhere. For some of us in the NDC, it was more than just interesting- it was vindicating and demystifying. For sure the Ahwoi name was the BUZZ WORD. An Ahwoi fell, and it had such a boomerang effect.
No one- at least no NDC member – is left with any doubt that the power of the people still reign over money lure and sheer intimidation. The weekend’s fall- outs also leave one clear message on our minds as NDC members and Ghanaians in general- there are still some people in Ghanaian politics whose conscience just simply cannot be compromised with money- and these people remain the real king makers.
It started with the northern sector primaries, which saw several district chief executives loosing the contest to ordinary party faithful. From Ashnati, tonorthern region right through the upper regions, many known appointees or government sponsored candidates lost miserably or narrowly after spending so much money in campaigning and luring delegates.
When the Sunyani congress took place, we heard apologists of President Mills conclude very conveniently that that verdict was a positive judgment of his government- a 96.9% overwhelming vote of confidence by the NDC delegates. And that it was a signal to a victory awaiting Mills and the NDC in 2012. Some of us argued that the national delegates submitted to money lure and intimidation in a manipulative environment. At the end, some of us concluded that the outcome was an apology of a democratic congress because we believed absolutely that the delegates did not decide based on the general will of the mass voters in the grass roots of the NDC but based on their own personal motivations and parochial interests. Those who rubbished our arguments then will now have to write new notes. Nevertheless, results were accepted and a new chapter began.
If indeed the president was re-endorsed based on his policies and popularity, then there must be a good explanation for the rejection of the president’s own appointee for food and agriculture- the backbone of our economy. This, despite the fact that the same government machinery that was deployed in Sunyani was replicated in Agona east constituency just to ensure the victory of Kwasi Ahwoi. And I have been reliably informed that Ato Ahwoi the de-facto prime minister of Ghana had to be aided before he could depart from the venue of the vote count resulting from the shock of his brother’s loss.
But I’m shocked to hear that Ato Ahwoi was shocked at his brother’s loss. What was he shocked about? After all, this is the first time any Ahwoi has ever run for an election in Ghana- and it was a false start. Yet, these are the people leading the campaign for the alienation and exclusion of the NDC founder Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings from the party- a man who hasn’t only won elections as president of this country twice, but has also been the key instrument in the political fortunes and careers of all these manipulating elements now championing a malicious agenda against the founder. And to think that these people- unelectable as they are, even at the lowest level- want to convince the rest of us that they can win the next general election for the NDC without the founder. Only those who want to loose power will follow an unelectable bunch like the Ahwois- and Mills is following them.
Considering that five (5) out of ten (10) DCE’s who went into the contest in Ashanti region alone lost to ordinary party members after fierce contest is such a damning outcome for president Mills and his government that appointed these people into office plus, former ministers of state and even serving ministers in government blatantly rejected by the grassroots in loud protest and contrary to claims that the entire grassroots are united behind Mills and his appointees without J. J Rawlings.
And if a people reject a man as parliamentary candidate- a man maintained by the president as a minister of state or DCE- does it not suggest that such a man is an imposition on the people? What moral mandate do these rejected appointees have to continue to occupy such offices?
Or do some one wish to convince me that a man who is unfit to represent the people of his constituency in parliament have any justification in a democratic congress to represent the entire people of Ghana as a minister for Agriculture in a country where Agric is the backbone of the economy.
If the NDC were still a political party with men of integrity in public office, Kwasi Ahwoi, minister for Agriculture would resign for lack of credibility and to save his honour. Unfortunately, we’re not likely to see that voluntary action from him- and that’s why president Mills must rise to the occasion – for once- and sack Kwasi Ahwoi – unless that decision lies in the hands of Ato Ahwoi in which case the Agric minister will remain in office despite his loosing credibility- and that will speak so much of a so-called democratic congress.
For what is worth it, the disapprovals from the grassroots of the NDC of ministers and DCE’s are a clear indication of the gulf that exists between the popular vote- the people’s power- and the manipulative power of the so-called national delegate. In Sunyani, the delegates succumbed to manipulation whereas in the current situation the branches and ward levels are resisting imposition from the powers that be. This is where some of us have argued that unless and until the ordinary party members of the NDC emerge from the current state of apathy and disillusionment- a situation that can only be brought about by the party founder- there are no real chances for this party retaining power in the next general election legitimately.
We the grassroots supporters of the NDC don’t want any more promises from the leadership neither do we want assurances. The last time President Mills the leader of the NDC made a promise to us, it was in Sunyani immediately after he won 96.9 % of the delegate vote to remain flag bearer for the next general elections. I stood right in front of him in that coronation park and heard him loud and clear admit that without UNITY of purpose in the NDC, and without the active contribution of everyone one- big or small- the ultimate goal of retaining power will elude the party. He then promised to ensure a building of bridges and to converge the divergent opinions of the various groups and schools of thought that have emerged to propose different approaches to sustaining power for the NDC.
Not surprisingly, that promise has remained empty words, and the cracks within the party may have even deepened further. Undoubtedly, president Mills must take ultimate responsibility, and this is something that the mass and disillusioned supporters are very much aware of, and have begun to seize the opportunity to register their disdain for this deliberate attempt to take the NDC back into opposition after holding power for only one-term. This is just the beginning of the grassroots protests, and it may just be a warning signal to the ‘greedy bastards’ who may not have much time to take the right decisions to avert an eminent defeat in the next general elections.
Make no mistake, what ever decision president Mills and his team may take regarding the way forward for this party, the outcome of such a decision is solely the responsibility of the president and his team of current leaders of the NDC and the youth of this party will not forgive them for wrong decisions and undesirable outcomes.
SaCut Amenga-Etego
NDC youth activist
No one- at least no NDC member – is left with any doubt that the power of the people still reign over money lure and sheer intimidation. The weekend’s fall- outs also leave one clear message on our minds as NDC members and Ghanaians in general- there are still some people in Ghanaian politics whose conscience just simply cannot be compromised with money- and these people remain the real king makers.
It started with the northern sector primaries, which saw several district chief executives loosing the contest to ordinary party faithful. From Ashnati, tonorthern region right through the upper regions, many known appointees or government sponsored candidates lost miserably or narrowly after spending so much money in campaigning and luring delegates.
When the Sunyani congress took place, we heard apologists of President Mills conclude very conveniently that that verdict was a positive judgment of his government- a 96.9% overwhelming vote of confidence by the NDC delegates. And that it was a signal to a victory awaiting Mills and the NDC in 2012. Some of us argued that the national delegates submitted to money lure and intimidation in a manipulative environment. At the end, some of us concluded that the outcome was an apology of a democratic congress because we believed absolutely that the delegates did not decide based on the general will of the mass voters in the grass roots of the NDC but based on their own personal motivations and parochial interests. Those who rubbished our arguments then will now have to write new notes. Nevertheless, results were accepted and a new chapter began.
If indeed the president was re-endorsed based on his policies and popularity, then there must be a good explanation for the rejection of the president’s own appointee for food and agriculture- the backbone of our economy. This, despite the fact that the same government machinery that was deployed in Sunyani was replicated in Agona east constituency just to ensure the victory of Kwasi Ahwoi. And I have been reliably informed that Ato Ahwoi the de-facto prime minister of Ghana had to be aided before he could depart from the venue of the vote count resulting from the shock of his brother’s loss.
But I’m shocked to hear that Ato Ahwoi was shocked at his brother’s loss. What was he shocked about? After all, this is the first time any Ahwoi has ever run for an election in Ghana- and it was a false start. Yet, these are the people leading the campaign for the alienation and exclusion of the NDC founder Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings from the party- a man who hasn’t only won elections as president of this country twice, but has also been the key instrument in the political fortunes and careers of all these manipulating elements now championing a malicious agenda against the founder. And to think that these people- unelectable as they are, even at the lowest level- want to convince the rest of us that they can win the next general election for the NDC without the founder. Only those who want to loose power will follow an unelectable bunch like the Ahwois- and Mills is following them.
Considering that five (5) out of ten (10) DCE’s who went into the contest in Ashanti region alone lost to ordinary party members after fierce contest is such a damning outcome for president Mills and his government that appointed these people into office plus, former ministers of state and even serving ministers in government blatantly rejected by the grassroots in loud protest and contrary to claims that the entire grassroots are united behind Mills and his appointees without J. J Rawlings.
And if a people reject a man as parliamentary candidate- a man maintained by the president as a minister of state or DCE- does it not suggest that such a man is an imposition on the people? What moral mandate do these rejected appointees have to continue to occupy such offices?
Or do some one wish to convince me that a man who is unfit to represent the people of his constituency in parliament have any justification in a democratic congress to represent the entire people of Ghana as a minister for Agriculture in a country where Agric is the backbone of the economy.
If the NDC were still a political party with men of integrity in public office, Kwasi Ahwoi, minister for Agriculture would resign for lack of credibility and to save his honour. Unfortunately, we’re not likely to see that voluntary action from him- and that’s why president Mills must rise to the occasion – for once- and sack Kwasi Ahwoi – unless that decision lies in the hands of Ato Ahwoi in which case the Agric minister will remain in office despite his loosing credibility- and that will speak so much of a so-called democratic congress.
For what is worth it, the disapprovals from the grassroots of the NDC of ministers and DCE’s are a clear indication of the gulf that exists between the popular vote- the people’s power- and the manipulative power of the so-called national delegate. In Sunyani, the delegates succumbed to manipulation whereas in the current situation the branches and ward levels are resisting imposition from the powers that be. This is where some of us have argued that unless and until the ordinary party members of the NDC emerge from the current state of apathy and disillusionment- a situation that can only be brought about by the party founder- there are no real chances for this party retaining power in the next general election legitimately.
We the grassroots supporters of the NDC don’t want any more promises from the leadership neither do we want assurances. The last time President Mills the leader of the NDC made a promise to us, it was in Sunyani immediately after he won 96.9 % of the delegate vote to remain flag bearer for the next general elections. I stood right in front of him in that coronation park and heard him loud and clear admit that without UNITY of purpose in the NDC, and without the active contribution of everyone one- big or small- the ultimate goal of retaining power will elude the party. He then promised to ensure a building of bridges and to converge the divergent opinions of the various groups and schools of thought that have emerged to propose different approaches to sustaining power for the NDC.
Not surprisingly, that promise has remained empty words, and the cracks within the party may have even deepened further. Undoubtedly, president Mills must take ultimate responsibility, and this is something that the mass and disillusioned supporters are very much aware of, and have begun to seize the opportunity to register their disdain for this deliberate attempt to take the NDC back into opposition after holding power for only one-term. This is just the beginning of the grassroots protests, and it may just be a warning signal to the ‘greedy bastards’ who may not have much time to take the right decisions to avert an eminent defeat in the next general elections.
Make no mistake, what ever decision president Mills and his team may take regarding the way forward for this party, the outcome of such a decision is solely the responsibility of the president and his team of current leaders of the NDC and the youth of this party will not forgive them for wrong decisions and undesirable outcomes.
SaCut Amenga-Etego
NDC youth activist
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
ECOWAS PROTOCOLS!
ECOWAS PROTOCOLS. What is that? perhaps if you've never attempted traveling across the West African economic community region, you would assume that nationals/citizens from member states enjoy freedom of movement and economic activities across the boarders without restrictions provided you have a valid passport.
At least, that is the ordinary 'mis -understanding' of a man in Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Senegal, etc. etc whose traveling experience is limited to local geography. And perhaps, it was with this 'misunderstanding' that an old friend of mine who was traveling from Ghana to Nigeria -hoping to enjoy some ECOWAS PROTOCOLS- got disappointed.
As he walked in a queue at a Nigeria-Cameroon boarder, my friend saw from a distance that the Nigerian custom officer received a bribe from each traveler before approving passage. The Togolese nationals in the queue paid the bribes without qualms. Likewise, the Cameroonians. Apparently, these West African nationals did not pay attention to the essence of the ECOWAS PROTOCOLS or simply didn't take interest in it's benefits. Perhaps, they know better. It was not the same with my Ghananian friend. Haven studied political science at the university of Ghana, and who also prides himself as a Pan-Africanist, my compatriot had a good 'misunderstanding' on the politics of regional integration.
Not surprisingly, my friend did not budget for the bribe to the Nigerian boarder patrol officer.He knew that ECOWAS PROTOCOLS have eliminated that. He was wrong. As he walked closer to the officer, he took out his Ghanaian passport without the bribe. The officer asked him to 'repackage' his document before handing it over to him. He had a stern face indicating his seriousness in his demands. My friend remained adamant. He was double sure that as a citizen of ECOWAS, he was not entitled to pay bribe.
It turns out that both my Ghanaian friend and the Nigerian boarder patrol officer had separate and totally different understanding of the ECOWAS PROTOCOLS. The Nigerian officer was getting inpatient with my friend's delay and/or impudence. My Ghanaian friend finally decided to school the Nigerian custom officer on what the PROTOCOL requires of him at the boarder. He said, 'My brother, am from Ghana, a member of ECOWAS. I should be allowed to pass freely without paying bribe under the ECOWAS PROTOCOLS'. He was hoping to convince this corrupted custom officer, to go without paying a bribe with a lecture on Protocols.
The Nigerian custom officer was the least amused by the long talk of ECOWAS PROTOCOLS. He demanded for the last time to have his bribe adding 'Oga, abi Obasanjo and Rawlings wey them do Ecowas protocol...me and you no get any Ecowas protocols. Na bribe you go pay'. My Ghanaian friend gave up immediately noticing that ECOWAS PROTOCOLS was a simple rhetoric that has yet to be practical- at least at the Nigeria-Cameroon boarder.According to the Nigerian custom officer, the protocols are limited to the leaders- not the peoples of West Africa.
Travel and see.
At least, that is the ordinary 'mis -understanding' of a man in Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Senegal, etc. etc whose traveling experience is limited to local geography. And perhaps, it was with this 'misunderstanding' that an old friend of mine who was traveling from Ghana to Nigeria -hoping to enjoy some ECOWAS PROTOCOLS- got disappointed.
As he walked in a queue at a Nigeria-Cameroon boarder, my friend saw from a distance that the Nigerian custom officer received a bribe from each traveler before approving passage. The Togolese nationals in the queue paid the bribes without qualms. Likewise, the Cameroonians. Apparently, these West African nationals did not pay attention to the essence of the ECOWAS PROTOCOLS or simply didn't take interest in it's benefits. Perhaps, they know better. It was not the same with my Ghananian friend. Haven studied political science at the university of Ghana, and who also prides himself as a Pan-Africanist, my compatriot had a good 'misunderstanding' on the politics of regional integration.
Not surprisingly, my friend did not budget for the bribe to the Nigerian boarder patrol officer.He knew that ECOWAS PROTOCOLS have eliminated that. He was wrong. As he walked closer to the officer, he took out his Ghanaian passport without the bribe. The officer asked him to 'repackage' his document before handing it over to him. He had a stern face indicating his seriousness in his demands. My friend remained adamant. He was double sure that as a citizen of ECOWAS, he was not entitled to pay bribe.
It turns out that both my Ghanaian friend and the Nigerian boarder patrol officer had separate and totally different understanding of the ECOWAS PROTOCOLS. The Nigerian officer was getting inpatient with my friend's delay and/or impudence. My Ghanaian friend finally decided to school the Nigerian custom officer on what the PROTOCOL requires of him at the boarder. He said, 'My brother, am from Ghana, a member of ECOWAS. I should be allowed to pass freely without paying bribe under the ECOWAS PROTOCOLS'. He was hoping to convince this corrupted custom officer, to go without paying a bribe with a lecture on Protocols.
The Nigerian custom officer was the least amused by the long talk of ECOWAS PROTOCOLS. He demanded for the last time to have his bribe adding 'Oga, abi Obasanjo and Rawlings wey them do Ecowas protocol...me and you no get any Ecowas protocols. Na bribe you go pay'. My Ghanaian friend gave up immediately noticing that ECOWAS PROTOCOLS was a simple rhetoric that has yet to be practical- at least at the Nigeria-Cameroon boarder.According to the Nigerian custom officer, the protocols are limited to the leaders- not the peoples of West Africa.
Travel and see.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Ghost who relocated after the floods
Just the other day, I heard a story that emanated from the recent Accra floods. This one is really funny, so I thought to share it. It Involved some two not exactly brave police constables. They had been deployed in some flooded area to prevent people from taking advantage and looting other people's property.
These two police men were bent on making sure no one escaped with stolen goods. Soon, they saw a man who carried a brand new coffin on his head. Aparently, this man had taken advantage of an unburried copse regaled with ornamentals and gold objects- a copse whose burial had been disorganized by the devastating floods. This man was carrying the coffin to a safer location so that he could, with ease, loot it's content.
One of the police men spotted the man carrying the coffin. He was curious. He drew the attention of the other, and they both attempted to approach the man. But whiles attempting to approach him, one of the police men shouted out to the man carrying the coffin thus ' where are you going carrying a coffin on your heard'?
The man carrying the coffin responded ' Oh well, actually, I'm relocating myself because of the floods'.
Upon hearing this reponse, the two AK47 Gun-wielding police men took to their heels knowing that they had met a ghost relocating after the floods.
So: Can we say these two police men are animists, and this has affected their work?
These two police men were bent on making sure no one escaped with stolen goods. Soon, they saw a man who carried a brand new coffin on his head. Aparently, this man had taken advantage of an unburried copse regaled with ornamentals and gold objects- a copse whose burial had been disorganized by the devastating floods. This man was carrying the coffin to a safer location so that he could, with ease, loot it's content.
One of the police men spotted the man carrying the coffin. He was curious. He drew the attention of the other, and they both attempted to approach the man. But whiles attempting to approach him, one of the police men shouted out to the man carrying the coffin thus ' where are you going carrying a coffin on your heard'?
The man carrying the coffin responded ' Oh well, actually, I'm relocating myself because of the floods'.
Upon hearing this reponse, the two AK47 Gun-wielding police men took to their heels knowing that they had met a ghost relocating after the floods.
So: Can we say these two police men are animists, and this has affected their work?
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
GANG-WAR IN THE NDC AGAINST THE FOUNDER- IS PRESIDENT MILLS A COWARD?
Gang-War in the NDC against the founder- Is President Mills a coward?
''It is a mark of wisdom not to kick away the very step from which we have risen higher...the removal of one step from a staircase brings down the whole of it''.- Mahatma Gandhi
There is no more doubt that there is a GANG-WAR been waged and led by president Mills against the NDC founder and former President of Ghana Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings and his family. But before we go into the nitty-gritty of this WAR, we ought to ask why it must be waged by a GANG. Does it say something about the nature of president Mills? Normally, GANGS are made up of a bunch of weak individuals incapable of defending themselves against their perceived or real very powerful enemies or opponents. It therefore goes without saying that NDC founder and former President Jerry Rawlings is a very powerful man not only within the NDC but in Ghanaian politics. This power, emanating from a people’s massive love for him as a leader, resulting in his larger than life popularity in Ghana and Africa definitely demands a gang – fight from whoever that wants to constitute themselves into his opponents /or enemies.
And what is the Premise of this GANG-WAR against the NDC founder? That his time is past, and he’s not allowing president Mills to rule according to his own set of values and style. Insistence on the application of the party’s values and principles has earned him absolute disdain from president Mills and his surrogates. Unable to engage in a WAR OF VALUES with the NDC founder, president Mills has turned to people who have publicly vowed to bring down Mr. Rawlings to form a GANG against him and his family.
President Mills befriended Gussie Tanoh as the first of the ‘enemies’ of President Rawlings. This is a man who left the NDC to form the Reform Party (RP) in open protest to an open endorsement of prof. Mills by President Rawlings in the famous ‘Swedru declaration’ in 2000. His reasons for that decision still stand today, albeit he tries to rationalize his return with talk of a ‘deepened internal democracy currently prevailing within the party’. We know that his true reason for returning to the NDC is to form part of the GANG-WAR against the NDC founder and to get his booty.
Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah, former party chairman, longest serving attorney-General of Ghana under President RAWLINGS left the NDC to form the Democratic freedom party (DFP) because he did not see, feel or experience democratic freedom in the NDC, but also because he said that Prof. Mills as leader of the NDC amounted to putting up an incompetent leader for the NDC. He vowed to oppose the NDC as long as president Mills remain party leader. This was in the face of unflinching and resolute support for Prof. Mills by party founder Jerry Rawlings and his wife NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS. Prof. Mills is still leader of the NDC today. Mills is not more or less competent than he was couple years ago when Obed Asamoah made all these arguments for his decision to form a new political party. If he now has returned to the NDC with the same Prof. Mills as leader, it cannot be for any other reason but to form a part of the GANG of Rawlings enemies being put together by president Mills for this on-going GANG-WAR against the NDC founder.
Lately, the GANG has been re-enforced by the admittance- illegal or otherwise- of Osahene Boakye Djan, former head of government business and spokes person for the erstwhile AFRC regime that led the June4 uprising in 1979. Capt. Rtd. Boakye Djan was one of the first of Rawlings’ colleagues who run away to the West after the AFRC handed over power to Liman. He did not wait to make sure of the stability of Ghana. He later elected himself a pure critic of the PNDC which was formed by elements within the AFRC led by the NDC founder. Boakye Djan then became a fierce critic of the PNDC/NDC and the entire Rawlings tradition from his base abroad where he sought greener pastures. Even in 2008, he contested as an independent in Jaman constituency in the Brong-Ahafo region because of his disdain for the NDC and its founder. Today however, Boakye Gyan says ‘I know President Mills to be an Nkrumahist and I am an Nkrumahist true and true. I cannot sit down for the so called founder Jerry Rawlings and his wife who are determined to destroy Mills and his government to succeed” he said adding that his candidature will help shape up the NDC towards victory in 2012’. Everybody can read between the lines here.
He has repeatedly said that the PNDC was born out of a betrayal of the principles of June4 for which reason he will never be part of the NDC party. He even wrote a book to prove his point. We all know that nothing has changed in terms of all these bogus arguments raised by Boakye Djan in the past for his non-affiliation with the NDC. The only thing that is new is that there is a new ‘perfidious friend’ in town- President Mills. He’s made the party founder his enemy. He’s surrounding himself with others who also the NDC founder their enemy to accelerate his GANG-WAR against the former president. Boakye Djan being a former close confidante of Mr. Rawlings will serve as a great sniper for President Mills- or so they think. There couldn’t be any other explanation to why this man who is totally disqualified to run as a PC for the NDC because he cannot fulfill the party’s requirement for at least a two year membership of the party before contesting on its ticket, will now be the sole candidate for the NDC in Jama, plus, he was publicly flanked by the party’s general secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia and other leading party members- a clear demonstration of the manipulation that is taking place just to bring Boakye Djan to the NDC and make it legitimate- somebody whose utterances against the party in the past makes him a clear and present danger to the NDC- unless the NDC general secretary want to tell us that Maj. Rtd. Boakye Djan was already a member of the NDC two years ago when he run as an independent in that same constituency in the Brong-Ahafo region. If that is the case, Boakye Djan would still be disqualified on the basis that all party members who went independent in the 2008 elections are considered sacked from the party- according this same NDC general secretary who is now chief supporter of Boakye Djan.
Those who saw it as a joke, Mills’ plan to alienate and make NDC founder and former President Rawlings ‘powerless’ to prepare the way for a ‘take over’ of the party are now laughing at the wrong side of their mouths. The evidence is very compelling. From events leading up to Sunyani, Wiki-leaks revelations through Hannah tetteh, to recent happenings in Cape Coast against Nana Konadu Agyeman- Rawlings, it is obvious that we’re heading for a final showdown within the NDC. It looks like we’re exhausting our options towards avoiding defeat in the 2012 general elections. And whatever calculations that Mills and his friends in the castle are going by, it is clear judging from their recent actions towards NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS that for them 3.1% of the NDC mass following who support her current stands in the party- assuming without admitting that percentage to be real, (because I believe NANA KONADU is more popular than Mills in reality) constitute less than the 40.000 votes that Mills obtained in 2008 from the TAIN constituency to win power. And if this is indeed their thinking, Mills and his cohorts must be the most romantic dreamers in the world today. They will wake up only when they’re on a freefall from power.
Otherwise, how can we explain the actions of Mills and his instruments of this shameful action in Cape Coast in the full glare of the police whose duty it is to enforce public order? What has president Mills turned the NDC into? When a government can openly undermine even the security agencies such as the police and engage in lawlessnessness- using some zombies with ‘indiscipline muscles’ called ‘macho men’ to lock up a public place secured by a high profile founding member of the ruling NDC for the purpose of addressing her supporters- and this, no doubt planned from the highest office of the land and carried out without remorse- even justifying it. The constituency chairman for Cape coast childishly proclaimed that they know what ever the former first lady was going to say in Cape Coast will not inure to the benefit of the government. For that matter, plus, they (constituency executives) were not pre-informed about the meeting was enough justification to disrupt it- unlawfully using hooligans. What a naïve constituency chairman the party has in Cape coast!
Another bogus reason these ignoramuses used in justifying their untenable action is that FONKAR members say they have nothing to do with the NDC and therefore, they can’t allow FONKAR to use NDC colors in decorating the hall for the meeting. This is very interesting. These same people at the castle went about poisoning the mass followers of our dear party that the ‘thank you tour’ is a cover for campaigning to run as independent. Seeing that the use of the party paraphernalia convinces all sensible NDC people beyond doubt that NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS will stand up to fight until the rot in the party is corrected, they now want to turn round and use FONKAR as a cover to prevent her from using the NDC party colors- colors that this woman partly, if not fully choose for the party. Some of these people now talking anyhow do not even know the origin and history, let alone meaning of these party colors yet, they have the effrontery to ask NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS not to use them.
In any case, FONKAR has never stated anywhere- officially or unofficially- that it wants nothing to do with the NDC. That is a palpable lie. Indeed, it is those at the castle who do not want FONKAR associated with the NDC. Besides, there is nothing wrong if FONKAR disassociate itself from the ‘new values’ of the ‘new NDC’. We only know one NDC.
First of all, Cape coast is not the first region to be visited by NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS on her nation-wide ‘thank you’ tour. She has already visited Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Western, and Volta regions. The same channels and methods of organization were used. All such regions also have party executives who may not have supported the former first lady in her flag bearer ship bid but they did not go out of their way to encroach on her freedom to association and gathering permitted by law. Why did it happen in Cape Coast? Did we not see it coming when the perpetrators infiltrated the 31DWM and got some women to issue threats a week earlier to her Excellency not to visit the region? What they forgot is that they are dealing with a BOLD woman.
The orchestrators of this useless scheme used Cape Coast because it is there they can find people willing to do anything imaginable to show ‘primitive loyalty’ to President Mills just to earn crumbs and praise. At the end of the day, the supporters of NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS still gathered to listen to her speak. Uncalculating as those behind all this are, they didn’t realize the uselessness of their action until when it was time to explain it. Some of them have been hiding from the media- declining comments. They are wondering how this could have back-fired so much and even increased the former flag bearer contender’s popularity whiles further exposing Mills’ needless gang- war against the Rawlings’ and sending his own ‘popularity’ into the ditches.
All sensible people whose appreciation of our democracy have not been overwhelmed by avarice have condemned- root, stem and branch- the locking-up of the Cape coast town hall by agents of president Mills to prevent a meeting between NANA KONADU and her supporters. The hypocrites have remained silent- and this includes some ‘fair weather friends’ of NKAR whose refusal to openly denounce the Cape coast incident for whatever reasons best known to them is not only amazing to some of us, it is also worth taking note of.
One thing is clear- and president Mills must know this. Whether or not the GANG-WAR against the NDC founder and his family succeeds or fails- the characters forming the GANG around Mills are still his worse enemies- not J.J. RAWLINGS.
But who so ever requires such a large gang to marshal forces against him to fight must be standing solidly by something fundamentally good- the truth.
''When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men turn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love. Where evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men must seek to bring into being a real order of justice''- Rev. Martin Luther King.
Amenga-Etego SaCut
NDC youth activist
''It is a mark of wisdom not to kick away the very step from which we have risen higher...the removal of one step from a staircase brings down the whole of it''.- Mahatma Gandhi
There is no more doubt that there is a GANG-WAR been waged and led by president Mills against the NDC founder and former President of Ghana Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings and his family. But before we go into the nitty-gritty of this WAR, we ought to ask why it must be waged by a GANG. Does it say something about the nature of president Mills? Normally, GANGS are made up of a bunch of weak individuals incapable of defending themselves against their perceived or real very powerful enemies or opponents. It therefore goes without saying that NDC founder and former President Jerry Rawlings is a very powerful man not only within the NDC but in Ghanaian politics. This power, emanating from a people’s massive love for him as a leader, resulting in his larger than life popularity in Ghana and Africa definitely demands a gang – fight from whoever that wants to constitute themselves into his opponents /or enemies.
And what is the Premise of this GANG-WAR against the NDC founder? That his time is past, and he’s not allowing president Mills to rule according to his own set of values and style. Insistence on the application of the party’s values and principles has earned him absolute disdain from president Mills and his surrogates. Unable to engage in a WAR OF VALUES with the NDC founder, president Mills has turned to people who have publicly vowed to bring down Mr. Rawlings to form a GANG against him and his family.
President Mills befriended Gussie Tanoh as the first of the ‘enemies’ of President Rawlings. This is a man who left the NDC to form the Reform Party (RP) in open protest to an open endorsement of prof. Mills by President Rawlings in the famous ‘Swedru declaration’ in 2000. His reasons for that decision still stand today, albeit he tries to rationalize his return with talk of a ‘deepened internal democracy currently prevailing within the party’. We know that his true reason for returning to the NDC is to form part of the GANG-WAR against the NDC founder and to get his booty.
Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah, former party chairman, longest serving attorney-General of Ghana under President RAWLINGS left the NDC to form the Democratic freedom party (DFP) because he did not see, feel or experience democratic freedom in the NDC, but also because he said that Prof. Mills as leader of the NDC amounted to putting up an incompetent leader for the NDC. He vowed to oppose the NDC as long as president Mills remain party leader. This was in the face of unflinching and resolute support for Prof. Mills by party founder Jerry Rawlings and his wife NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS. Prof. Mills is still leader of the NDC today. Mills is not more or less competent than he was couple years ago when Obed Asamoah made all these arguments for his decision to form a new political party. If he now has returned to the NDC with the same Prof. Mills as leader, it cannot be for any other reason but to form a part of the GANG of Rawlings enemies being put together by president Mills for this on-going GANG-WAR against the NDC founder.
Lately, the GANG has been re-enforced by the admittance- illegal or otherwise- of Osahene Boakye Djan, former head of government business and spokes person for the erstwhile AFRC regime that led the June4 uprising in 1979. Capt. Rtd. Boakye Djan was one of the first of Rawlings’ colleagues who run away to the West after the AFRC handed over power to Liman. He did not wait to make sure of the stability of Ghana. He later elected himself a pure critic of the PNDC which was formed by elements within the AFRC led by the NDC founder. Boakye Djan then became a fierce critic of the PNDC/NDC and the entire Rawlings tradition from his base abroad where he sought greener pastures. Even in 2008, he contested as an independent in Jaman constituency in the Brong-Ahafo region because of his disdain for the NDC and its founder. Today however, Boakye Gyan says ‘I know President Mills to be an Nkrumahist and I am an Nkrumahist true and true. I cannot sit down for the so called founder Jerry Rawlings and his wife who are determined to destroy Mills and his government to succeed” he said adding that his candidature will help shape up the NDC towards victory in 2012’. Everybody can read between the lines here.
He has repeatedly said that the PNDC was born out of a betrayal of the principles of June4 for which reason he will never be part of the NDC party. He even wrote a book to prove his point. We all know that nothing has changed in terms of all these bogus arguments raised by Boakye Djan in the past for his non-affiliation with the NDC. The only thing that is new is that there is a new ‘perfidious friend’ in town- President Mills. He’s made the party founder his enemy. He’s surrounding himself with others who also the NDC founder their enemy to accelerate his GANG-WAR against the former president. Boakye Djan being a former close confidante of Mr. Rawlings will serve as a great sniper for President Mills- or so they think. There couldn’t be any other explanation to why this man who is totally disqualified to run as a PC for the NDC because he cannot fulfill the party’s requirement for at least a two year membership of the party before contesting on its ticket, will now be the sole candidate for the NDC in Jama, plus, he was publicly flanked by the party’s general secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia and other leading party members- a clear demonstration of the manipulation that is taking place just to bring Boakye Djan to the NDC and make it legitimate- somebody whose utterances against the party in the past makes him a clear and present danger to the NDC- unless the NDC general secretary want to tell us that Maj. Rtd. Boakye Djan was already a member of the NDC two years ago when he run as an independent in that same constituency in the Brong-Ahafo region. If that is the case, Boakye Djan would still be disqualified on the basis that all party members who went independent in the 2008 elections are considered sacked from the party- according this same NDC general secretary who is now chief supporter of Boakye Djan.
Those who saw it as a joke, Mills’ plan to alienate and make NDC founder and former President Rawlings ‘powerless’ to prepare the way for a ‘take over’ of the party are now laughing at the wrong side of their mouths. The evidence is very compelling. From events leading up to Sunyani, Wiki-leaks revelations through Hannah tetteh, to recent happenings in Cape Coast against Nana Konadu Agyeman- Rawlings, it is obvious that we’re heading for a final showdown within the NDC. It looks like we’re exhausting our options towards avoiding defeat in the 2012 general elections. And whatever calculations that Mills and his friends in the castle are going by, it is clear judging from their recent actions towards NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS that for them 3.1% of the NDC mass following who support her current stands in the party- assuming without admitting that percentage to be real, (because I believe NANA KONADU is more popular than Mills in reality) constitute less than the 40.000 votes that Mills obtained in 2008 from the TAIN constituency to win power. And if this is indeed their thinking, Mills and his cohorts must be the most romantic dreamers in the world today. They will wake up only when they’re on a freefall from power.
Otherwise, how can we explain the actions of Mills and his instruments of this shameful action in Cape Coast in the full glare of the police whose duty it is to enforce public order? What has president Mills turned the NDC into? When a government can openly undermine even the security agencies such as the police and engage in lawlessnessness- using some zombies with ‘indiscipline muscles’ called ‘macho men’ to lock up a public place secured by a high profile founding member of the ruling NDC for the purpose of addressing her supporters- and this, no doubt planned from the highest office of the land and carried out without remorse- even justifying it. The constituency chairman for Cape coast childishly proclaimed that they know what ever the former first lady was going to say in Cape Coast will not inure to the benefit of the government. For that matter, plus, they (constituency executives) were not pre-informed about the meeting was enough justification to disrupt it- unlawfully using hooligans. What a naïve constituency chairman the party has in Cape coast!
Another bogus reason these ignoramuses used in justifying their untenable action is that FONKAR members say they have nothing to do with the NDC and therefore, they can’t allow FONKAR to use NDC colors in decorating the hall for the meeting. This is very interesting. These same people at the castle went about poisoning the mass followers of our dear party that the ‘thank you tour’ is a cover for campaigning to run as independent. Seeing that the use of the party paraphernalia convinces all sensible NDC people beyond doubt that NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS will stand up to fight until the rot in the party is corrected, they now want to turn round and use FONKAR as a cover to prevent her from using the NDC party colors- colors that this woman partly, if not fully choose for the party. Some of these people now talking anyhow do not even know the origin and history, let alone meaning of these party colors yet, they have the effrontery to ask NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS not to use them.
In any case, FONKAR has never stated anywhere- officially or unofficially- that it wants nothing to do with the NDC. That is a palpable lie. Indeed, it is those at the castle who do not want FONKAR associated with the NDC. Besides, there is nothing wrong if FONKAR disassociate itself from the ‘new values’ of the ‘new NDC’. We only know one NDC.
First of all, Cape coast is not the first region to be visited by NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS on her nation-wide ‘thank you’ tour. She has already visited Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Western, and Volta regions. The same channels and methods of organization were used. All such regions also have party executives who may not have supported the former first lady in her flag bearer ship bid but they did not go out of their way to encroach on her freedom to association and gathering permitted by law. Why did it happen in Cape Coast? Did we not see it coming when the perpetrators infiltrated the 31DWM and got some women to issue threats a week earlier to her Excellency not to visit the region? What they forgot is that they are dealing with a BOLD woman.
The orchestrators of this useless scheme used Cape Coast because it is there they can find people willing to do anything imaginable to show ‘primitive loyalty’ to President Mills just to earn crumbs and praise. At the end of the day, the supporters of NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS still gathered to listen to her speak. Uncalculating as those behind all this are, they didn’t realize the uselessness of their action until when it was time to explain it. Some of them have been hiding from the media- declining comments. They are wondering how this could have back-fired so much and even increased the former flag bearer contender’s popularity whiles further exposing Mills’ needless gang- war against the Rawlings’ and sending his own ‘popularity’ into the ditches.
All sensible people whose appreciation of our democracy have not been overwhelmed by avarice have condemned- root, stem and branch- the locking-up of the Cape coast town hall by agents of president Mills to prevent a meeting between NANA KONADU and her supporters. The hypocrites have remained silent- and this includes some ‘fair weather friends’ of NKAR whose refusal to openly denounce the Cape coast incident for whatever reasons best known to them is not only amazing to some of us, it is also worth taking note of.
One thing is clear- and president Mills must know this. Whether or not the GANG-WAR against the NDC founder and his family succeeds or fails- the characters forming the GANG around Mills are still his worse enemies- not J.J. RAWLINGS.
But who so ever requires such a large gang to marshal forces against him to fight must be standing solidly by something fundamentally good- the truth.
''When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men turn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love. Where evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men must seek to bring into being a real order of justice''- Rev. Martin Luther King.
Amenga-Etego SaCut
NDC youth activist
Monday, September 19, 2011
NDC AND ATTA MILLS ARE SEEKING A BORROWED IDENTITY IN NKRUMAISM
It has become even clearer that President Mills and the new NDC are bent on reviving utopianism (Nkrumaism) as a political ideology for the ruling party- instead of- as it should be- pragmatism (Rawlingsism) been the guiding model of governance as a political movement.
Latest Wikileaks report has confirmed what some of us have argued for a long time that there is a scheme, planned and projected by the leadership of the NDC to replace the NDC party tradition with an Nkrumah tradition.
Hannah Tetteh, minister for trade and industry speaking as director of communications for the transitional team of the new NDC government in 2009 told a US official that the new NDC’s long-term plan was to make NDC founder Jerryjavascript:void(0) Rawlings ‘powerless’ in order to be able to bring the CPP and PNC to join the bigger and winnable NDC to consolidate power.
We have all been witnesses to all the efforts within the NDC to see the founder in that so-called state of powerlessness.
Interestingly, as the President and his men and women at the castle continue to reject their true heritage, founding and living ideals and rather intensifying their pursuit of Nkrumaism, the living sons and daughters of Kwame Nkrumah are flatly rejecting the NDC.
Samia Nkrumah, first woman to be elected chairman of the CPP and the only Member of Parliament for Jomoro is a daughter of our first president. She has remained independent in parliament mainly because she believes in neither the majority NDC nor the minority NPP.
The CPP see her as the new face of their Revival. Sekou Nkrumah, former Boss of the National youth council (NYC) under the Mills administration also just quit the NDC recently mainly because he does not believe in the current NDC leadership. He adds that he wants not to stand in the way of the sister’s quest to rebuild the CPP by being part of the NDC whose continues growth will spell doom for the CPP.
On his new Friday morning radio show on Xfm95.1, a local radio station based in Accra dubbed ‘ let’s talk politics’, Sekou Nkrumah pointed out that he does not see how Nkrumaism or socialism so to speak will work in the new world order of globalization and the dominance of a free market economy.
Sekou also cannot see how a ‘dead’ CPP can be resurrected except when the NDC which he believes has usurped the CPP constituency disintegrates- something he doesn’t see happening soon.
The nagging question here to ask is, how come President Mills and friends are the only ones who cannot see that even Nkrumah’s sons and daughters disapprove of the agenda of the new NDC.
Whiles Sekou Nkrumah is displeased with the current NDC leadership despite Mills’ quest to make Kwame Nkrumah the focus of his traditional roots, Samia Nkrumah is working hard to revive the CPP and give it a better chance of reviving Nkrumaism.
What then is the essence of what we’re doing in the NDC? Busily trying to deny our true identity and rather seeking a ‘borrowed identity’ of Nkrumaism even in the face of stiff opposition from his sons and daughters? J. J Rawlings and Kwame Nkrumah may have some similarities but they are distinct in their own political thinking and tradition.
The two most nationalistic political movements in Ghana, the CPP and NDC can be traceable to these two statesmen. We will therefore have to continue to ask of the question of identity. Without Kwame Nkrumah, it would seem to some of us that CPP will be without identity.
Likewise with the NDC which will be a totally confused group of people devoid of any identity without Rawlings or Kwame Nkrumah factor.
What all this means is that Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry John Rawlings are men of their own thought and identity. So that if the NDC is running away from the living Rawlings identity- which is what they are clearly trying to do without the necessary success- shouldn’t they now be searching for an identity of their own instead of running after a borrowed identity?
And isn’t it obvious that without leaning against either Nkrumah or Rawlings, the NDC becomes a group of unidentifiable people without one common set of values and principles to fall on a political movement?
There is no other identity for the NDC if it does not identify with Rawlings. And if Atta Mills and the new NDC continue with this needless effort to have a borrowed identity of Nkrumaism, then the party must be prepared to have a borrowed status in Ghanaian politics.
Just as a Ghanaian calling himself JOHN MILLS is not necessarily an English man, so will a group of politicians whose politics have been inspired by Jerry John Rawlings can never succeed at any point in time in turning such a living inspiration into an Nkrumaist inspiration.
Let the President Mills and the NDC stop acting confused and giving the impression that the party is suffering from identity crisis before it is too late since it is obvious that Ghanaians will not vote for a confused group of politicians incapable of identifying themselves to rule this nation.
Signed:
Amenga-Etego SaCut
NDC youth activist
Latest Wikileaks report has confirmed what some of us have argued for a long time that there is a scheme, planned and projected by the leadership of the NDC to replace the NDC party tradition with an Nkrumah tradition.
Hannah Tetteh, minister for trade and industry speaking as director of communications for the transitional team of the new NDC government in 2009 told a US official that the new NDC’s long-term plan was to make NDC founder Jerryjavascript:void(0) Rawlings ‘powerless’ in order to be able to bring the CPP and PNC to join the bigger and winnable NDC to consolidate power.
We have all been witnesses to all the efforts within the NDC to see the founder in that so-called state of powerlessness.
Interestingly, as the President and his men and women at the castle continue to reject their true heritage, founding and living ideals and rather intensifying their pursuit of Nkrumaism, the living sons and daughters of Kwame Nkrumah are flatly rejecting the NDC.
Samia Nkrumah, first woman to be elected chairman of the CPP and the only Member of Parliament for Jomoro is a daughter of our first president. She has remained independent in parliament mainly because she believes in neither the majority NDC nor the minority NPP.
The CPP see her as the new face of their Revival. Sekou Nkrumah, former Boss of the National youth council (NYC) under the Mills administration also just quit the NDC recently mainly because he does not believe in the current NDC leadership. He adds that he wants not to stand in the way of the sister’s quest to rebuild the CPP by being part of the NDC whose continues growth will spell doom for the CPP.
On his new Friday morning radio show on Xfm95.1, a local radio station based in Accra dubbed ‘ let’s talk politics’, Sekou Nkrumah pointed out that he does not see how Nkrumaism or socialism so to speak will work in the new world order of globalization and the dominance of a free market economy.
Sekou also cannot see how a ‘dead’ CPP can be resurrected except when the NDC which he believes has usurped the CPP constituency disintegrates- something he doesn’t see happening soon.
The nagging question here to ask is, how come President Mills and friends are the only ones who cannot see that even Nkrumah’s sons and daughters disapprove of the agenda of the new NDC.
Whiles Sekou Nkrumah is displeased with the current NDC leadership despite Mills’ quest to make Kwame Nkrumah the focus of his traditional roots, Samia Nkrumah is working hard to revive the CPP and give it a better chance of reviving Nkrumaism.
What then is the essence of what we’re doing in the NDC? Busily trying to deny our true identity and rather seeking a ‘borrowed identity’ of Nkrumaism even in the face of stiff opposition from his sons and daughters? J. J Rawlings and Kwame Nkrumah may have some similarities but they are distinct in their own political thinking and tradition.
The two most nationalistic political movements in Ghana, the CPP and NDC can be traceable to these two statesmen. We will therefore have to continue to ask of the question of identity. Without Kwame Nkrumah, it would seem to some of us that CPP will be without identity.
Likewise with the NDC which will be a totally confused group of people devoid of any identity without Rawlings or Kwame Nkrumah factor.
What all this means is that Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry John Rawlings are men of their own thought and identity. So that if the NDC is running away from the living Rawlings identity- which is what they are clearly trying to do without the necessary success- shouldn’t they now be searching for an identity of their own instead of running after a borrowed identity?
And isn’t it obvious that without leaning against either Nkrumah or Rawlings, the NDC becomes a group of unidentifiable people without one common set of values and principles to fall on a political movement?
There is no other identity for the NDC if it does not identify with Rawlings. And if Atta Mills and the new NDC continue with this needless effort to have a borrowed identity of Nkrumaism, then the party must be prepared to have a borrowed status in Ghanaian politics.
Just as a Ghanaian calling himself JOHN MILLS is not necessarily an English man, so will a group of politicians whose politics have been inspired by Jerry John Rawlings can never succeed at any point in time in turning such a living inspiration into an Nkrumaist inspiration.
Let the President Mills and the NDC stop acting confused and giving the impression that the party is suffering from identity crisis before it is too late since it is obvious that Ghanaians will not vote for a confused group of politicians incapable of identifying themselves to rule this nation.
Signed:
Amenga-Etego SaCut
NDC youth activist
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Question of building bridges within NDC for election 2012- Is President Mills concerned?
As the 2012 general election which will determine who controls Ghana’s oil draws near, these inevitable and haunting questions- of what awaits the NDC in 2012 should the power players within it end up unable to rise above the bitter struggle that has ensued and engulfed our internal body politic, of whether or not NDC founder Jerry John Rawlings will root for President Mills in 2012 general elections which will determine who controls Ghana’s oil despite his vote of no confidence on him, questions of whether the former first lady of Ghana and NDC flag bearer contender NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS will join forces with President Mills against Nana Akuffo Addo of the NPP or will she stamp her foot even more indelibly in our body politic by running as an independent candidate- these questions will remain lingering in our minds and the more often we ask plus the louder we do the asking, the quicker our experience of the answers. And I dare say that the question of building bridges within the NDC not just for the purposes of winning power against the NPP in 2012- for the exercise of sovereign power without principles underlining it is even more detrimental to the sovereign or general will of a people- but to enable the NDC soberly return to the fundamental values that form it’s bedrock and its quest for power- these questions may come in different forms but the answer is in one man’s hand- President Mills. Yes, he must answer the moral question.
I’m emphatic about this. I get people asking me these questions whenever I’m available to answer them via every medium. And what I notice is that many people are only looking at it from one side- the wrong side. Yes, unity must come from our collective quest for it. Even with the different interests within the NDC, our opposition to a third interest- the NPP-should produce a harmony between our internal diffrent interests. That’s what the fundamental thinkers in moral and political philosophy have said. Be that as it may, the moral mandate comes into force here. And yes, President Mills may personally have little- if at all- to loose in the event of a failure of the NDC to unite and retain power in 2012- after all he has made it succinctly clear to us all that a one-term presidency for him is as good as that of a two-term as long as ‘his maker’ is satisfied with his performance as president. Meaning; God is the judge of his performance as president not the people. So: if a people judge him and the NDC out of the presidency, it will be a no judgment and he will be unperturbed.
If this is the premise, will the re-unification of the NDC party to ensure and secure victory for 2012 be such a priority for the President our leader? It doesn’t seem like the answers are coming as fast and loud as the questions. It was a good gimmick when President Mills stated in his speech after congress in Sunyani that he is cognizant of the indispensable element of unity that must follow the primary campaign bickering. He got applause for the speech. Events, actions, inaction, private and public statements and comments emanating from the president and his loyalists following the speech have all been aimed at achieving within the NDC the exact opposite of what the moral mandate requires of him- disunity. I wonder if the president and his surrogates are still getting applause.
I have learnt that lying can be very addictive and especially to oneself. When you tell a first lie, you are bound to tell another to sustain the first lie. When the cycle continues, it gets to a point you become captive to your own delusion. And that’s exactly what I’m seeing here in my dear party NDC. Looking at the posture of our brothers and sisters with power in the castle led by President Mills, it would seem to some of us that, they will have to behave as if unity in the NDC especially with the view to bringing on board the Rawlings’ for campaign 2012 is an insignificant factor in the NDC’s chances for victory- and this new lie just to be able to sustain the provably false notion that President Mills is 96.9% massively popular enough to secure a victory- even if a 3.1% bold and principled significant and critical minority is indifference.
From sending their media allies out there to make unfounded claims and tell pure lies about so-called ‘conditionalities’ from the NDC founder in exchange for his support in 2012, they have now proceeded to maliciously poison party members against meeting NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS on her nation-wide thank-you tour with the reason that she is intending to run as an independent candidate and destroy the NDC. See who are talking about destruction of the NDC? The same people who have diluted, corrupted and even conveniently buried the party’s values and created deep cracks within are now talking about the destruction of a party that now needs rescue. All this is meant to perpetuate the existing disunity. Why, we went for congress and there was a verdict. The President- the winner- has not taken a single step- not even an empty unifying statement- towards bringing on board his contender in the primaries. What President Mills’ supporters are busying their selves with at this crucial time rather is to throw out uninformed speculations-turn poison out there among the rank and file based on their own calculations of what next political step NANA KONADU WILL take. And guess what? Their speculation can only be boarded around the theme of disunity- as though they actually want to encourage Mrs. Rawlings to run as independent candidate. Well, maybe that is what they really want. They certainly must be wild dreamers.
Interestingly, some people who used to think like some of us- people who were critical of this same attitude from the presidency- are suddenly apologetic- even if covered in insincerity and for opportunistic motivations. They have started issuing so-called ‘selective apologies’ for ‘selective statements’ made about president Mills and his government in the past. ‘There is the need to build bridges, we were first NDC before we were FONKAR OR GAME’ said one self-styled ‘Rawlings disciple’ AKA RAS MUBARAK. Excellent speech but my questions remain unequivocal; who is to initiate the building project? Who is to draw the plan for the building of the bridges? Who is to sponsor the bridge building project? President Mills- of course.
Therefore, no one within the NDC- especially not insignificant persons- can claim to be taking initiatives towards ‘bridge building’ when indeed, it is nearly evident that the President and his friends don’t believe in ‘bridges’ especially if these bridges are going to link them to the RAWLINGS’. Why would they want to be linked with a family and legacy they have worked religiously to delink from? It is as if we don’t know that the same people with the moral mandate to initiate this so-called bridge building are responsible for the collapse of the bridge that we must now be building to rescue the NDC. I’m even wondering, and I wish those going to the President to apologize in their quest to build bridges, would tell us, with hand on heart, if indeed, President Mills welcomed their moot effort or he showed absolute disdain for it. I can always guess the stand president Mills will take any day. So: those who request some of us to also apologize our stands against President Mills must know that some of us are neither naïve nor are we blinded, unprincipled and uncalculating opportunists. In my books, apologies or bridge buildings must be led by the leaders who are the architects of our present culture as a party in government. After all, our dissenting voices have largely been a product and a reaction to the newly introduced separatists’ culture within the NDC also known as the ‘new NDC’ led by president Mills.
If you want to tell what president Mills truly makes of those of you making a mockery of yourselves with your apologies to him, just watch how his teaming ‘primitive loyalists’ are reacting to your actions. Some of them in their extreme naivety and over exuberance have even written and spoken privately and publicly that ‘all the Mills critics within the NDC or rather all the NANA KONADU supporters who are now privately apologizing to the president should rather go back to the mass media through which the criticisms were made before apologies are accepted’. And this is coming from some of the most insignificant supporters re-echoing the words of their masters and exposing the inner pettiness that is actually our bane. Does this signal something significant to those apologizing? Well, it does appear that some people in power hate unity within the NDC with a passion though they talk about the need for it.
Whiles all these intrigues are going on, the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is getting more and more confident of victory in election 2012 to the extent that all their work to recapture power in 2012 has been reduced to just a prayer. And their prayer is a simple one which can be practically answered without a need for a miracle. That: the NDC founder and former President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife not campaign for President Mills and the NDC- the last obstacle and only real obstacle to their quest to recapture power. May be since the President is such a pious Christian, his natural inclination will be to intercede to have the NPP’s prayer answered. But I say to President Mills BE BOLD to undo the lie that you’re your own man within the NDC and Ghana politics without the unflinching support of the NDC founder before you’re crushed by the opposition NPP. And to make matters worse, the former President and NDC founder has been deeply involved in humanitarian work as an AU high representative in the search for peace in Somalia and fight against famine in the entire horn of Africa. With his active involvement in this crucially humanitarian endeavor, I wonder what it will take for president Mills to have the NDC founder on the campaign trail in 2012. Plus, the founder has stated publicly that he will not campaign for Mills in 2012. It will be interesting to see how president Mills and his new friends will manage to bring this man back home for a political campaign they themselves have believed and insinuated publicly and privately that the founder will not influence its outcome. And this yet another palpable lie needing sustenance.
All this brings me to one temporary conclusion: With former president Jerry John Rawlings’ almost certainly out of the election 2012 campaign for the president, the only other CROWD PULLER for the NDC to match the NPP is MONEY. That was the tool used by the NPP in 2008. They cannot even deny it. They are still very much reliant on it for the next election. The people have fully commercialized our universal suffrage. Go into any community of your choice in Ghana now and ask for hundred (100) people to come listen to you talk to them without paying them for walking from their homes and see if you will get an audience the next time. It is a pity but it is true.
The BIG question is where will the money come from for the crucial election 2012?
In my books, there are two main sources for all leading political parties in Ghana. May be three. The third source can’t secure any of the political parties’ victory because it is the honest source of money-honest contribution from members and supporters. The first source is DRUG MONEY, the second is STOLEN MONEY. At first, there was deterrence in Ghana especially following from 79 when public officials paid the ultimate price for their involvement in stealing state money. I doubt if that still exists as President Atta has been widely perceived to be encouraging it with his policy of ‘let things be’. It remains a risky avenue though as some of us will continue to crusade for accountability by public officials any day. Be it NDC or NPP officials. Drug money is the perpetually UNACCOUNTABLE SOURCE. As we get near the crucial election, the cartel will sure be more than king makers- they will determine for the people.
According to a recent and detailed report on Ghana titled ‘GHANA, assessing risks to stability’ by the center for strategic and international studies (CSIS) a US-based organization which provides strategic insights and bipartisan policy solutions to decision makers in government, international institutions, the private sector and civil society in general, the development of Accra as a hub for cocaine and heroin trade from Latin America , along with central and south-east Asia is threatening to transform criminal activities and corrupt political life in Ghana. The profits from the transshipment of drugs are too great to forgo, and a new class of educated, politically well connected drug entrepreneurs is emerging.
The UN office on drugs and crime estimates that 60 tons of cocaine worth $2billion passes through West Africa every year. The report warns that unless concerted attempts are made to combat the drug trade, there is a danger that it will corrode the effectiveness of the police, custom service and the legal system and ultimately undermine the legitimacy of the state. The NDC has made serious accusations against the NPP for alleged links to drugs money during it’s time in office. And there is little doubt if we remember in January 2004 police and customs seized 675 kg of cocaine estimated at $140million, from a frozen storage facility at the Tema harbor, owned by a Ghanaian business man of good standing who later turned out to be a drug baron. Several parcels of same drugs disappeared from police custody during this period. Then in 2005, an NPP MP Eric Amoateng was arrested in New York by US law enforcement officials for trafficking $6million worth of heroine. Even though he first denied the charges, he later pleaded guilty and is now doing time for his folly.
And according to recent leaked cables published by Wikileaks from the US-Embassy in Accra, Ghana’s drug problem is increasing in scope. In February 2010, president Mills reportedly told the U.S assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Johnnie Carson, that Ghana was struggling with drug trafficking and increased drug use and he feared a ‘bleak future for the Ghanaian people’. Three months earlier, a cable from the U.S Ambassador to Accra, Donald Teitelbaum, reported that Atta-Mills wanted drug screening introduced at the presidential lounge at the Accra airport to deter any member of his entourage who may be tempted to smuggle drugs. A separate cable suggested that members of the NDC government had been compromised by involvement in the trade and even added that airport officials were known to tip off traffickers about impending operations by NACOB.
It remains difficult for some of us to believe that either party will remain immune to the attractions of drug money as the crucial 2012 elections which obviously will determine who controls Ghana’s oil money draws near. The temptation to tap every resource- legal and illegal- may prove irresistible. If the cartel determines who wins, it goes without saying that they will control Ghana’s oil money and that may be the ‘bleak future for Ghanaians’ that our president anticipates.
Amenga-Etego SaCut
NDC youth activist
I’m emphatic about this. I get people asking me these questions whenever I’m available to answer them via every medium. And what I notice is that many people are only looking at it from one side- the wrong side. Yes, unity must come from our collective quest for it. Even with the different interests within the NDC, our opposition to a third interest- the NPP-should produce a harmony between our internal diffrent interests. That’s what the fundamental thinkers in moral and political philosophy have said. Be that as it may, the moral mandate comes into force here. And yes, President Mills may personally have little- if at all- to loose in the event of a failure of the NDC to unite and retain power in 2012- after all he has made it succinctly clear to us all that a one-term presidency for him is as good as that of a two-term as long as ‘his maker’ is satisfied with his performance as president. Meaning; God is the judge of his performance as president not the people. So: if a people judge him and the NDC out of the presidency, it will be a no judgment and he will be unperturbed.
If this is the premise, will the re-unification of the NDC party to ensure and secure victory for 2012 be such a priority for the President our leader? It doesn’t seem like the answers are coming as fast and loud as the questions. It was a good gimmick when President Mills stated in his speech after congress in Sunyani that he is cognizant of the indispensable element of unity that must follow the primary campaign bickering. He got applause for the speech. Events, actions, inaction, private and public statements and comments emanating from the president and his loyalists following the speech have all been aimed at achieving within the NDC the exact opposite of what the moral mandate requires of him- disunity. I wonder if the president and his surrogates are still getting applause.
I have learnt that lying can be very addictive and especially to oneself. When you tell a first lie, you are bound to tell another to sustain the first lie. When the cycle continues, it gets to a point you become captive to your own delusion. And that’s exactly what I’m seeing here in my dear party NDC. Looking at the posture of our brothers and sisters with power in the castle led by President Mills, it would seem to some of us that, they will have to behave as if unity in the NDC especially with the view to bringing on board the Rawlings’ for campaign 2012 is an insignificant factor in the NDC’s chances for victory- and this new lie just to be able to sustain the provably false notion that President Mills is 96.9% massively popular enough to secure a victory- even if a 3.1% bold and principled significant and critical minority is indifference.
From sending their media allies out there to make unfounded claims and tell pure lies about so-called ‘conditionalities’ from the NDC founder in exchange for his support in 2012, they have now proceeded to maliciously poison party members against meeting NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS on her nation-wide thank-you tour with the reason that she is intending to run as an independent candidate and destroy the NDC. See who are talking about destruction of the NDC? The same people who have diluted, corrupted and even conveniently buried the party’s values and created deep cracks within are now talking about the destruction of a party that now needs rescue. All this is meant to perpetuate the existing disunity. Why, we went for congress and there was a verdict. The President- the winner- has not taken a single step- not even an empty unifying statement- towards bringing on board his contender in the primaries. What President Mills’ supporters are busying their selves with at this crucial time rather is to throw out uninformed speculations-turn poison out there among the rank and file based on their own calculations of what next political step NANA KONADU WILL take. And guess what? Their speculation can only be boarded around the theme of disunity- as though they actually want to encourage Mrs. Rawlings to run as independent candidate. Well, maybe that is what they really want. They certainly must be wild dreamers.
Interestingly, some people who used to think like some of us- people who were critical of this same attitude from the presidency- are suddenly apologetic- even if covered in insincerity and for opportunistic motivations. They have started issuing so-called ‘selective apologies’ for ‘selective statements’ made about president Mills and his government in the past. ‘There is the need to build bridges, we were first NDC before we were FONKAR OR GAME’ said one self-styled ‘Rawlings disciple’ AKA RAS MUBARAK. Excellent speech but my questions remain unequivocal; who is to initiate the building project? Who is to draw the plan for the building of the bridges? Who is to sponsor the bridge building project? President Mills- of course.
Therefore, no one within the NDC- especially not insignificant persons- can claim to be taking initiatives towards ‘bridge building’ when indeed, it is nearly evident that the President and his friends don’t believe in ‘bridges’ especially if these bridges are going to link them to the RAWLINGS’. Why would they want to be linked with a family and legacy they have worked religiously to delink from? It is as if we don’t know that the same people with the moral mandate to initiate this so-called bridge building are responsible for the collapse of the bridge that we must now be building to rescue the NDC. I’m even wondering, and I wish those going to the President to apologize in their quest to build bridges, would tell us, with hand on heart, if indeed, President Mills welcomed their moot effort or he showed absolute disdain for it. I can always guess the stand president Mills will take any day. So: those who request some of us to also apologize our stands against President Mills must know that some of us are neither naïve nor are we blinded, unprincipled and uncalculating opportunists. In my books, apologies or bridge buildings must be led by the leaders who are the architects of our present culture as a party in government. After all, our dissenting voices have largely been a product and a reaction to the newly introduced separatists’ culture within the NDC also known as the ‘new NDC’ led by president Mills.
If you want to tell what president Mills truly makes of those of you making a mockery of yourselves with your apologies to him, just watch how his teaming ‘primitive loyalists’ are reacting to your actions. Some of them in their extreme naivety and over exuberance have even written and spoken privately and publicly that ‘all the Mills critics within the NDC or rather all the NANA KONADU supporters who are now privately apologizing to the president should rather go back to the mass media through which the criticisms were made before apologies are accepted’. And this is coming from some of the most insignificant supporters re-echoing the words of their masters and exposing the inner pettiness that is actually our bane. Does this signal something significant to those apologizing? Well, it does appear that some people in power hate unity within the NDC with a passion though they talk about the need for it.
Whiles all these intrigues are going on, the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is getting more and more confident of victory in election 2012 to the extent that all their work to recapture power in 2012 has been reduced to just a prayer. And their prayer is a simple one which can be practically answered without a need for a miracle. That: the NDC founder and former President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife not campaign for President Mills and the NDC- the last obstacle and only real obstacle to their quest to recapture power. May be since the President is such a pious Christian, his natural inclination will be to intercede to have the NPP’s prayer answered. But I say to President Mills BE BOLD to undo the lie that you’re your own man within the NDC and Ghana politics without the unflinching support of the NDC founder before you’re crushed by the opposition NPP. And to make matters worse, the former President and NDC founder has been deeply involved in humanitarian work as an AU high representative in the search for peace in Somalia and fight against famine in the entire horn of Africa. With his active involvement in this crucially humanitarian endeavor, I wonder what it will take for president Mills to have the NDC founder on the campaign trail in 2012. Plus, the founder has stated publicly that he will not campaign for Mills in 2012. It will be interesting to see how president Mills and his new friends will manage to bring this man back home for a political campaign they themselves have believed and insinuated publicly and privately that the founder will not influence its outcome. And this yet another palpable lie needing sustenance.
All this brings me to one temporary conclusion: With former president Jerry John Rawlings’ almost certainly out of the election 2012 campaign for the president, the only other CROWD PULLER for the NDC to match the NPP is MONEY. That was the tool used by the NPP in 2008. They cannot even deny it. They are still very much reliant on it for the next election. The people have fully commercialized our universal suffrage. Go into any community of your choice in Ghana now and ask for hundred (100) people to come listen to you talk to them without paying them for walking from their homes and see if you will get an audience the next time. It is a pity but it is true.
The BIG question is where will the money come from for the crucial election 2012?
In my books, there are two main sources for all leading political parties in Ghana. May be three. The third source can’t secure any of the political parties’ victory because it is the honest source of money-honest contribution from members and supporters. The first source is DRUG MONEY, the second is STOLEN MONEY. At first, there was deterrence in Ghana especially following from 79 when public officials paid the ultimate price for their involvement in stealing state money. I doubt if that still exists as President Atta has been widely perceived to be encouraging it with his policy of ‘let things be’. It remains a risky avenue though as some of us will continue to crusade for accountability by public officials any day. Be it NDC or NPP officials. Drug money is the perpetually UNACCOUNTABLE SOURCE. As we get near the crucial election, the cartel will sure be more than king makers- they will determine for the people.
According to a recent and detailed report on Ghana titled ‘GHANA, assessing risks to stability’ by the center for strategic and international studies (CSIS) a US-based organization which provides strategic insights and bipartisan policy solutions to decision makers in government, international institutions, the private sector and civil society in general, the development of Accra as a hub for cocaine and heroin trade from Latin America , along with central and south-east Asia is threatening to transform criminal activities and corrupt political life in Ghana. The profits from the transshipment of drugs are too great to forgo, and a new class of educated, politically well connected drug entrepreneurs is emerging.
The UN office on drugs and crime estimates that 60 tons of cocaine worth $2billion passes through West Africa every year. The report warns that unless concerted attempts are made to combat the drug trade, there is a danger that it will corrode the effectiveness of the police, custom service and the legal system and ultimately undermine the legitimacy of the state. The NDC has made serious accusations against the NPP for alleged links to drugs money during it’s time in office. And there is little doubt if we remember in January 2004 police and customs seized 675 kg of cocaine estimated at $140million, from a frozen storage facility at the Tema harbor, owned by a Ghanaian business man of good standing who later turned out to be a drug baron. Several parcels of same drugs disappeared from police custody during this period. Then in 2005, an NPP MP Eric Amoateng was arrested in New York by US law enforcement officials for trafficking $6million worth of heroine. Even though he first denied the charges, he later pleaded guilty and is now doing time for his folly.
And according to recent leaked cables published by Wikileaks from the US-Embassy in Accra, Ghana’s drug problem is increasing in scope. In February 2010, president Mills reportedly told the U.S assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Johnnie Carson, that Ghana was struggling with drug trafficking and increased drug use and he feared a ‘bleak future for the Ghanaian people’. Three months earlier, a cable from the U.S Ambassador to Accra, Donald Teitelbaum, reported that Atta-Mills wanted drug screening introduced at the presidential lounge at the Accra airport to deter any member of his entourage who may be tempted to smuggle drugs. A separate cable suggested that members of the NDC government had been compromised by involvement in the trade and even added that airport officials were known to tip off traffickers about impending operations by NACOB.
It remains difficult for some of us to believe that either party will remain immune to the attractions of drug money as the crucial 2012 elections which obviously will determine who controls Ghana’s oil money draws near. The temptation to tap every resource- legal and illegal- may prove irresistible. If the cartel determines who wins, it goes without saying that they will control Ghana’s oil money and that may be the ‘bleak future for Ghanaians’ that our president anticipates.
Amenga-Etego SaCut
NDC youth activist
Monday, July 25, 2011
An Apology of A Democratic Congress- A polling agent's narration
I will count myself privileged to have been given the opportunity by NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS to represent her as official polling agent for the Ashanti region delegates during the just ended congress in Sunyani. This gave me the rare opportunity and chance of observing the entire electoral process from a closer range than many other observers who were outside the inner perimeter- even closer than the ‘GRAY HAIR MEN/WOMEN’ who occupied the dais. I went into the inner perimeter not only to watch and tally the vote casts but also to study the entire process and be a part of history in the making. What follows, therefore, is a portrait of a moment, no more in that Sunyani coronation park on that Saturday afternoon July 9 2011 when the NDC went to a congress to choose a flag bearer for election 2012. I did not go into that congress intending to write an article, or indeed to write at all; but my encounter with the place affected me so deeply and profoundly that in the end, I had no choice.
For me, the first thing that welcomed me into that park was intimidation. Arriving in Sunyani that late Thursday afternoon, I felt the town had been besieged by armed police and military men wielding machine guns in their legions among the people. I imagined if I were a delegate coming from rural Ghana, and unfamiliar with this large presence of security forces- obviously deployed by commander in-chief president Mills to put fear into us- thereby affecting our voting decision. The full effect of the heavy security presence was yet to be felt in full as I was later to experience. One thing for sure though; the supporters who had the responsibility for the posters and our candidate’s visibility in the town did an excellent job.
That Friday morning which was arrival day didn’t pass without undesirable incidences. As part of the advance team for my candidate who encountered the media, it would seem like a harmonious morning until a clique that was led by Hon. E. T Mensah attempted to deface posters of our candidate NANA KONADU AGYEMAN –RAWLINGS on the main gate of the coronation park venue for the congress. This was simply because; the president’s posters were less visible at the entrance which obviously irritated President Mills’ supporters who then attempted with the use of ZOOM LION to deface the posters without the consent of the NANA KONADU CAMPAIGN TEAM. This obviously did not go down with the director of operations for the campaign who vehemently protested- generating some heat and tension in the process- until we came to a sort of a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ to deface a certain portion of our posters. Later that morning, we met with Koku Anyidoho, director of communications at the presidency, Fiifi Kwetey, dep. Fin. Minister as well as Alex Segbefia, deputy chief of staff. Our conversations with them were very hearty and cordial. We even took pictures. Later that afternoon, as we sat on and among the many unoccupied chairs, I witnessed the sudden falling of a man on the pitch near the podium. He was walking among other people. Suddenly, he went down but was immediately held up and taken to a chair. I was later to find out that the man who had been conquered by fatigue is Ato Ahwoi the pseudo president of Ghana.
Later that Friday evening, information came in from different directions and especially from delegates about various forms of inducements and manipulative tactics G.A.M.E had adopted towards the delegates in order to win the congress by the hook or the crook. Various sums of money ranging between 500-2000 GH were mentioned as varying amounts given to delegates. Delegates also reported that DCE’s and MCE’s were the agents of promises of jobs, contracts, travel opportunities etc. for example, several delegates reported that they were promised by Mills’ agents to be taken to Switzerland for an ILO conference. Several hundred delegates were given this promise even though such a conference will normally have not more than fifteen (15) delegates from every country. Some delegates began to request the NANA KONADU campaign team to also come forth with our own inducements and bribes. Our principled candidate stood her grounds and refused to fall into their trap. After all, as she kept repeating, this contest is not about her. It is about the party, the ordinary people and the structures. Why must she pay to rescue the party?
Talking about delegates, some of us believe - and especially after this NDC congress in Sunyani- that these people who cast their vote to choose president Mills cannot be considered delegates in the true sense of the word. They cannot convince some of us that their decision to vote the way that they did, and the malpractices they engaged in during the voting process was primarily in the interest of their constituents. I will come to the voting process and the irregularities that we experienced and protested to no avail.
I don’t know about everyone else but I begun to be afraid of what Mills and his team had planned to do to win the congress when the national security coordinator Col. Larry Lartey suddenly appeared that Saturday morning at the NDC founder’s hotel ostensibly to determine itinerary. I had a bad feeling about it and it soon became a nightmare when eventually the NDC founder and our BOLD candidate NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS arrived and entered through a ‘narrow gate’ unused by the rest of the dignitaries including the president and vice president. Interestingly, when the so-called MC for the congress Hon. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah announced the entrance of the founder and wife into the stadium, it didn’t occur to him to allow for them to arrive before making another announcement almost immediately for an opening prayer. At this point, it became clear to most of us that there was a projection and roll out of a grand scheme to try to give an ignoble treatment to the NDC founder and former president as well as his wife and our candidate NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS and to short- change the entire mass following of the NDC party and Ghanaians at large. The carefully selected delegates and observers had been orchestrated to give the party founder a cold reception.
From the onset, things were wrong and tilted to favor president Mills. An MC selected by President Mills and his GAME team. A DJ also selected by them. Electoral committee of the party made up of only Mills supporters and only one NANA KONADU supporter. Accreditations fully controlled by GAME who ends up giving only a handful of observer tags to our team and producing far more than agreed numbers for their GAME supporters. No wonder that even the sound system was tampered with during speeches for malicious purposes.
I was one of the first few polling agents to enter the inner perimeter after the announcement had been made that the process was about to begin. By this time only the security men, EC officials, GAME officials as well as occupants of the dais were inside the inner perimeter. I decided to go in there to locate the position of the Ashanti region delegates where I would be superintending for my candidate. Here, I want to put it on record that the security services were used to intimidate not only the delegates into voting for president Mills, they also tried to intimidate identified supporters and agents of NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS into submission. I had a personal experience whiles walking within the inner perimeter and checking the EC officials. I was approached by a Mills agent. He wanted to see my accreditation tag even though the security men had already seen it before allowing me entry into the place. I showed it to him. Unsatisfied, he wanted to know why I was not wearing my tag. I ignored him, noticing that his intention was to intimidate me. I refused to answer any more questions from him. My ‘boldness level’ was high by now thanks to the clarion call by my candidate in the slogan BE BOLD!
It did not end there. A few minutes after walking away from the GAME agent, I was approached by two uniformed police men. I knew they had prompting from that agent. They also demanded to see my tag. I showed it to them but instead of looking, they wanted to take it away from me. I resisted them with all the vehemence but was overpowered and the tag seized from me. It took Hon. Inussah Fuseini, NDC MP for TAMALE central and member of the electoral committee of the party to retrieve my tag for me. And this was even before voting had begun. I was unfazed by all these machinations and remained determined to ensure the sanctity of the ballot.
Voting time was finally here. I couldn’t believe what was going on. Being one of two official polling agents for my candidate, I had the responsibility of tallying the votes cast. My comrade Brogya Gyamfi checked the delegate’s register. On the other side for President Mills was a DCE standing beside me to tally votes. How did I know he was a DCE? The delegates- who obviously had a pact with him to do certain things- revealed his identity. They expressed surprise at seeing him and called out his title. This DCE was openly campaigning at the polling station against the regulations. He was preaching ‘double double’ to the delegates who saw him last before casting their vote. My conclusion is that these DCE’s and ministers who served as polling agents for Mills were put there to ensure delegates compliance with certain things they had been asked to do. For example, people talked to each other freely whiles casting their ballot. They had begun to show their cast ballot to each other behind the polling booths which stood very close to each other.
It is important to state here that unlike in previous congresses where the ballot boxes are placed close to the dais so that the party elders are able to witness at close range the electoral process thereby scaring people from engaging in voter irregularities, this time the ballot boxes were placed a gulf away from the podium to keep these planned and orchestrated irregularities out of sight. Some delegates were found to be untrustworthy to GAME and so were asked to take a picture of their vote to prove afterwards to merit what they had been promised. In the process of taking a picture of a cast ballot, the polling booth was brought down by one delegate before our very eyes. We began to protest- my colleague and me- against these irregularities. We got the EC officials to separate the polling booths wider apart. This didn’t end the irregularities. Bent on proving to the supervising DCE at the polling station, some delegates began waving openly their cast ballot to erase doubts about who they voted for. This we felt undermined the principle of a secret ballot. Again we protested. EC intervened and declared all such ballots that are exposed as invalid henceforth.
Nevertheless, the irregularities at the polling station persisted. I finally tried to physically prevent a delegate from putting into the ballot box, a ballot paper which had been openly displayed for the viewing of the rest of the queuing delegates. I was met with strong resistance from the GAME agents present at this polling station. They insisted on allowing the paper dropped into the box. That brought a scuffle- bringing the idling young and armed police men on duty up on their feet to prevent violence. Here again, it is important, even crucial to state that I met face to face with physical intimidation and threats at this point. NII Lantey Vandapuye, and aid to president Mills and his agent during the congress rushed to our polling station where he met us strongly protesting against the non-secret ballot. Unable to have his way despite being power drunk, he openly threatened to have me arrested for protesting against these irregularities. I couldn’t believe the level of his folly. He forgot he was not in his office in the Osu dungeons. I dared him but he sneaked away like the coward that he is.
At various stages during that afternoon, several of my friends said to me we have lost the election. I refused to believe them. I still had faith in the integrity of the delegates and hoped they will not breach the social contract with the people. Starting from when our party founder was ushered into a praying stadium, resulting in a cold reception, some comrades gave up the psychological war. Before the first vote was casts, my comrade and fellow polling agent gave up his mind also. I kept the attitude. The irregularities shook my faith. It was during counting that I was hit with the reality that it will be a disappointing result for us. The first fifteen (15) ballots picked out from the heap didn’t count my candidate. And this is the most populated polling station with 390 delegates from 39 constituencies plus ministers and functionaries from Ashanti. Not even the 40 delegates who endorsed the nomination forms for NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS in the Ashanti region voted for her here. They had been overwhelmed by fear and corruption imposed by president Mills and his GAME, only nine (9) of them remained BOLD and preferred to remain with the truth. Of course, the fewer will always stand by the TRUTH.
In our disappointment, we signed to accept the results at our polling station. Interestingly, the DCE and regional youth organizer representing GAME were not joyous after the count. They were not jubilating. I don’t know why. Perhaps they already knew the outcome. My mind became occupied by what my candidate kept telling her supporters and team members that the contest is not about her. The contest is about the party, the grass roots people, and the structures. So: I told myself she didn’t lose, the party did. The party failed to be rescued, but the point of principle has been established. History has been made. Her clarion call BE BOLD has become a national slogan because, and to paraphrase the former president and NDC founder the morning after election, the boldness level of our party supporters is so low at the moment because of the inactions of the NDC government of president Mills that a clarion call on them to BE BOLD naturally resonates with the people. And that makes the tactics employed by the ‘gray hair men’- the psychological operations that used the ‘fear factor’ to emasculate party people- a factor that is detrimental for internal party operations especially in the wake of the clarion call by the opposition leader NANA AKUFFO ADDO to his supporters to go into the 2012 general election with an ‘all die be die’ attitude- that make these discredited tactics plus it’s results a self-inflicted wound. Timid party supporters cannot face their opponents in 2012. Who else would use intimidation, if not cowards? I’m not surprised therefore that the former president and NDC founder stated a day after congress that he will not go to WAR in 2012 with cowards behind him.
Returning from Sunyani, I have heard several people speak. In my long silence and observation, I noticed the unity team running through pretentiously. The cynics are also at it with some even venturing to suggest that the Rawlings’ are now politically irrelevant for the NDC because NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS tried to rescue this party from losing its structures completely and eventually losing power. How can people in government be such simpletons? The party failed to be rescued because a hand full of delegates out of the MASS or POPULAR VOTE that will be required to win the general election chose to violate the social contract by voting against the collective conscience of the constituents. Every constituency for example has 25 executives- only 10 are delegates. More than half are not. The branch and ward are cut off. Wouldn’t they be tickling themselves and laughing? Even the naive mockers are having a good day. But let them wait and see who pays the price for this alien culture in our party. It certainly won’t be the NDC founder and NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS to pay the price. In the words of the NDC founder, it is the delegates and the NDC government who will pay the price for their actions.
In my books, the NDC founder is even about to get more popular among the people of Ghana. For when the ordinary people (the masses) elevate one of their own such as Jerry John Rawlings to a noble position so that he will fight to protect their interest, no other group of people- be they nobles, power drunks, psychological warriors or whatever- can reduce his standing through the use of any form of tactics and ignoble treatment at a one day organized shambolic congress where so-called delegates put their personal interests first before the social contract with the masses- a sure recipe for a backlash with the mass supporters during election 2012. Please let’s wake up from this complacency before we’re back into opposition.
What was democratic about the congress that I witnessed in Sunyani barely two weeks ago? What is there to celebrate on the part of the so-called victors? Just like a student who cheats to get excellent results will be exposed on the job when hired on the basis of such fake results, so will the man who manufactures his own popularity and strength of 96.9 % among the masses suffer the consequences of such superficiality of his methods when the time comes to meet the real enemy- the NPP. The president Mills who now boast of wining that election by 96.9 % could not even fake a smile in celebration because he couldn’t afford to deceive himself. He is fully aware that that so-called victory was a vote against the TRUTH. And for me, judging from the just ended sham in Sunyani, the NDC is currently a pure apology of a democratic congress.
President Mills promised to unite the NDC for victory 2012. That is an admission on his part that without a united front, there can’t be victory. But even before he will walk his talk on unity, some of his supporters- perhaps with his approval- are speaking a different language. Dr. Kwabena Adjei the national chairman in an answer to a question on whether or not he thinks the Rawlings’ will break away from the NDC, sarcastically asked back ‘Do you break away with 3.1 %?’ as if to say that percentage of popularity is politically real. I sense some complacency here from the ‘cut hunter’, and am afraid for what his attitude can do to the NDC’s unity agenda. Putting him aside, other elements are leading a section of the media to sustain the campaign of lies. Ben Epson, editor of the daily dispatch whose credibility is now in doubt after it has been established that he demands money from politicians to generate so-called opinion polls in their favor is in the fore front of disunity agenda for the NDC. As if he is an amateur journalist, he has begun setting a dangerous agenda for the elements in the NDC who wish to continue to delude themselves about the demise of the Rawlings’ stature. He now claims in his newspaper that the NDC founder is making demands on president Mills and his team as conditions before joining in the campaign for 2012. He lamely quotes from a letter written by an unnamed MP to president Mills in protest of such demands. Even though spokes person for the Rawlings flatly deny this, Mr. Epson, who in 2006 primaries of the NDC demanded ten million (10m) from the Mills team to concoct a poll in their favor but was turned down still insists that Kofi Adams who speaks for the founder is less informed of these matters. Whose interest is Ben Epson pursuing? And what has been government response? Absolute silence! Let’s see how this will contribute to unity within the NDC.
Well, as they pretend they want unity and they work towards disunity, I know one thing for sure; even with founder Jerry Rawlings and the BE BOLD train on board the campaign trail, the NDC still have slim chances of winning the next general elections. Without him and NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS, going into the 2012 general election in the first place would be a non-starter. There is hope though in raising the boldness level of the NDC mass followers for 2012 general election. That hope is coming from the clarion call of the former first lady; BE BOLD! For if the NPP and NANA AKUFFO ADDO is asking their supporters to wake up for an ‘all die be die’ election, there couldn’t be any more appropriate counter clarion call on a currently cowed and timid mass followers of the NDC than for them to BE BOLD! This make the NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS factor the only hope for the NDC in 2012. Let the prudent pay heed.
SaCut Amenga-Etego
(Author was a polling agent for NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS during the NDC 2011 congress and a member of FONKAR)
For me, the first thing that welcomed me into that park was intimidation. Arriving in Sunyani that late Thursday afternoon, I felt the town had been besieged by armed police and military men wielding machine guns in their legions among the people. I imagined if I were a delegate coming from rural Ghana, and unfamiliar with this large presence of security forces- obviously deployed by commander in-chief president Mills to put fear into us- thereby affecting our voting decision. The full effect of the heavy security presence was yet to be felt in full as I was later to experience. One thing for sure though; the supporters who had the responsibility for the posters and our candidate’s visibility in the town did an excellent job.
That Friday morning which was arrival day didn’t pass without undesirable incidences. As part of the advance team for my candidate who encountered the media, it would seem like a harmonious morning until a clique that was led by Hon. E. T Mensah attempted to deface posters of our candidate NANA KONADU AGYEMAN –RAWLINGS on the main gate of the coronation park venue for the congress. This was simply because; the president’s posters were less visible at the entrance which obviously irritated President Mills’ supporters who then attempted with the use of ZOOM LION to deface the posters without the consent of the NANA KONADU CAMPAIGN TEAM. This obviously did not go down with the director of operations for the campaign who vehemently protested- generating some heat and tension in the process- until we came to a sort of a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ to deface a certain portion of our posters. Later that morning, we met with Koku Anyidoho, director of communications at the presidency, Fiifi Kwetey, dep. Fin. Minister as well as Alex Segbefia, deputy chief of staff. Our conversations with them were very hearty and cordial. We even took pictures. Later that afternoon, as we sat on and among the many unoccupied chairs, I witnessed the sudden falling of a man on the pitch near the podium. He was walking among other people. Suddenly, he went down but was immediately held up and taken to a chair. I was later to find out that the man who had been conquered by fatigue is Ato Ahwoi the pseudo president of Ghana.
Later that Friday evening, information came in from different directions and especially from delegates about various forms of inducements and manipulative tactics G.A.M.E had adopted towards the delegates in order to win the congress by the hook or the crook. Various sums of money ranging between 500-2000 GH were mentioned as varying amounts given to delegates. Delegates also reported that DCE’s and MCE’s were the agents of promises of jobs, contracts, travel opportunities etc. for example, several delegates reported that they were promised by Mills’ agents to be taken to Switzerland for an ILO conference. Several hundred delegates were given this promise even though such a conference will normally have not more than fifteen (15) delegates from every country. Some delegates began to request the NANA KONADU campaign team to also come forth with our own inducements and bribes. Our principled candidate stood her grounds and refused to fall into their trap. After all, as she kept repeating, this contest is not about her. It is about the party, the ordinary people and the structures. Why must she pay to rescue the party?
Talking about delegates, some of us believe - and especially after this NDC congress in Sunyani- that these people who cast their vote to choose president Mills cannot be considered delegates in the true sense of the word. They cannot convince some of us that their decision to vote the way that they did, and the malpractices they engaged in during the voting process was primarily in the interest of their constituents. I will come to the voting process and the irregularities that we experienced and protested to no avail.
I don’t know about everyone else but I begun to be afraid of what Mills and his team had planned to do to win the congress when the national security coordinator Col. Larry Lartey suddenly appeared that Saturday morning at the NDC founder’s hotel ostensibly to determine itinerary. I had a bad feeling about it and it soon became a nightmare when eventually the NDC founder and our BOLD candidate NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS arrived and entered through a ‘narrow gate’ unused by the rest of the dignitaries including the president and vice president. Interestingly, when the so-called MC for the congress Hon. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah announced the entrance of the founder and wife into the stadium, it didn’t occur to him to allow for them to arrive before making another announcement almost immediately for an opening prayer. At this point, it became clear to most of us that there was a projection and roll out of a grand scheme to try to give an ignoble treatment to the NDC founder and former president as well as his wife and our candidate NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS and to short- change the entire mass following of the NDC party and Ghanaians at large. The carefully selected delegates and observers had been orchestrated to give the party founder a cold reception.
From the onset, things were wrong and tilted to favor president Mills. An MC selected by President Mills and his GAME team. A DJ also selected by them. Electoral committee of the party made up of only Mills supporters and only one NANA KONADU supporter. Accreditations fully controlled by GAME who ends up giving only a handful of observer tags to our team and producing far more than agreed numbers for their GAME supporters. No wonder that even the sound system was tampered with during speeches for malicious purposes.
I was one of the first few polling agents to enter the inner perimeter after the announcement had been made that the process was about to begin. By this time only the security men, EC officials, GAME officials as well as occupants of the dais were inside the inner perimeter. I decided to go in there to locate the position of the Ashanti region delegates where I would be superintending for my candidate. Here, I want to put it on record that the security services were used to intimidate not only the delegates into voting for president Mills, they also tried to intimidate identified supporters and agents of NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS into submission. I had a personal experience whiles walking within the inner perimeter and checking the EC officials. I was approached by a Mills agent. He wanted to see my accreditation tag even though the security men had already seen it before allowing me entry into the place. I showed it to him. Unsatisfied, he wanted to know why I was not wearing my tag. I ignored him, noticing that his intention was to intimidate me. I refused to answer any more questions from him. My ‘boldness level’ was high by now thanks to the clarion call by my candidate in the slogan BE BOLD!
It did not end there. A few minutes after walking away from the GAME agent, I was approached by two uniformed police men. I knew they had prompting from that agent. They also demanded to see my tag. I showed it to them but instead of looking, they wanted to take it away from me. I resisted them with all the vehemence but was overpowered and the tag seized from me. It took Hon. Inussah Fuseini, NDC MP for TAMALE central and member of the electoral committee of the party to retrieve my tag for me. And this was even before voting had begun. I was unfazed by all these machinations and remained determined to ensure the sanctity of the ballot.
Voting time was finally here. I couldn’t believe what was going on. Being one of two official polling agents for my candidate, I had the responsibility of tallying the votes cast. My comrade Brogya Gyamfi checked the delegate’s register. On the other side for President Mills was a DCE standing beside me to tally votes. How did I know he was a DCE? The delegates- who obviously had a pact with him to do certain things- revealed his identity. They expressed surprise at seeing him and called out his title. This DCE was openly campaigning at the polling station against the regulations. He was preaching ‘double double’ to the delegates who saw him last before casting their vote. My conclusion is that these DCE’s and ministers who served as polling agents for Mills were put there to ensure delegates compliance with certain things they had been asked to do. For example, people talked to each other freely whiles casting their ballot. They had begun to show their cast ballot to each other behind the polling booths which stood very close to each other.
It is important to state here that unlike in previous congresses where the ballot boxes are placed close to the dais so that the party elders are able to witness at close range the electoral process thereby scaring people from engaging in voter irregularities, this time the ballot boxes were placed a gulf away from the podium to keep these planned and orchestrated irregularities out of sight. Some delegates were found to be untrustworthy to GAME and so were asked to take a picture of their vote to prove afterwards to merit what they had been promised. In the process of taking a picture of a cast ballot, the polling booth was brought down by one delegate before our very eyes. We began to protest- my colleague and me- against these irregularities. We got the EC officials to separate the polling booths wider apart. This didn’t end the irregularities. Bent on proving to the supervising DCE at the polling station, some delegates began waving openly their cast ballot to erase doubts about who they voted for. This we felt undermined the principle of a secret ballot. Again we protested. EC intervened and declared all such ballots that are exposed as invalid henceforth.
Nevertheless, the irregularities at the polling station persisted. I finally tried to physically prevent a delegate from putting into the ballot box, a ballot paper which had been openly displayed for the viewing of the rest of the queuing delegates. I was met with strong resistance from the GAME agents present at this polling station. They insisted on allowing the paper dropped into the box. That brought a scuffle- bringing the idling young and armed police men on duty up on their feet to prevent violence. Here again, it is important, even crucial to state that I met face to face with physical intimidation and threats at this point. NII Lantey Vandapuye, and aid to president Mills and his agent during the congress rushed to our polling station where he met us strongly protesting against the non-secret ballot. Unable to have his way despite being power drunk, he openly threatened to have me arrested for protesting against these irregularities. I couldn’t believe the level of his folly. He forgot he was not in his office in the Osu dungeons. I dared him but he sneaked away like the coward that he is.
At various stages during that afternoon, several of my friends said to me we have lost the election. I refused to believe them. I still had faith in the integrity of the delegates and hoped they will not breach the social contract with the people. Starting from when our party founder was ushered into a praying stadium, resulting in a cold reception, some comrades gave up the psychological war. Before the first vote was casts, my comrade and fellow polling agent gave up his mind also. I kept the attitude. The irregularities shook my faith. It was during counting that I was hit with the reality that it will be a disappointing result for us. The first fifteen (15) ballots picked out from the heap didn’t count my candidate. And this is the most populated polling station with 390 delegates from 39 constituencies plus ministers and functionaries from Ashanti. Not even the 40 delegates who endorsed the nomination forms for NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS in the Ashanti region voted for her here. They had been overwhelmed by fear and corruption imposed by president Mills and his GAME, only nine (9) of them remained BOLD and preferred to remain with the truth. Of course, the fewer will always stand by the TRUTH.
In our disappointment, we signed to accept the results at our polling station. Interestingly, the DCE and regional youth organizer representing GAME were not joyous after the count. They were not jubilating. I don’t know why. Perhaps they already knew the outcome. My mind became occupied by what my candidate kept telling her supporters and team members that the contest is not about her. The contest is about the party, the grass roots people, and the structures. So: I told myself she didn’t lose, the party did. The party failed to be rescued, but the point of principle has been established. History has been made. Her clarion call BE BOLD has become a national slogan because, and to paraphrase the former president and NDC founder the morning after election, the boldness level of our party supporters is so low at the moment because of the inactions of the NDC government of president Mills that a clarion call on them to BE BOLD naturally resonates with the people. And that makes the tactics employed by the ‘gray hair men’- the psychological operations that used the ‘fear factor’ to emasculate party people- a factor that is detrimental for internal party operations especially in the wake of the clarion call by the opposition leader NANA AKUFFO ADDO to his supporters to go into the 2012 general election with an ‘all die be die’ attitude- that make these discredited tactics plus it’s results a self-inflicted wound. Timid party supporters cannot face their opponents in 2012. Who else would use intimidation, if not cowards? I’m not surprised therefore that the former president and NDC founder stated a day after congress that he will not go to WAR in 2012 with cowards behind him.
Returning from Sunyani, I have heard several people speak. In my long silence and observation, I noticed the unity team running through pretentiously. The cynics are also at it with some even venturing to suggest that the Rawlings’ are now politically irrelevant for the NDC because NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS tried to rescue this party from losing its structures completely and eventually losing power. How can people in government be such simpletons? The party failed to be rescued because a hand full of delegates out of the MASS or POPULAR VOTE that will be required to win the general election chose to violate the social contract by voting against the collective conscience of the constituents. Every constituency for example has 25 executives- only 10 are delegates. More than half are not. The branch and ward are cut off. Wouldn’t they be tickling themselves and laughing? Even the naive mockers are having a good day. But let them wait and see who pays the price for this alien culture in our party. It certainly won’t be the NDC founder and NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS to pay the price. In the words of the NDC founder, it is the delegates and the NDC government who will pay the price for their actions.
In my books, the NDC founder is even about to get more popular among the people of Ghana. For when the ordinary people (the masses) elevate one of their own such as Jerry John Rawlings to a noble position so that he will fight to protect their interest, no other group of people- be they nobles, power drunks, psychological warriors or whatever- can reduce his standing through the use of any form of tactics and ignoble treatment at a one day organized shambolic congress where so-called delegates put their personal interests first before the social contract with the masses- a sure recipe for a backlash with the mass supporters during election 2012. Please let’s wake up from this complacency before we’re back into opposition.
What was democratic about the congress that I witnessed in Sunyani barely two weeks ago? What is there to celebrate on the part of the so-called victors? Just like a student who cheats to get excellent results will be exposed on the job when hired on the basis of such fake results, so will the man who manufactures his own popularity and strength of 96.9 % among the masses suffer the consequences of such superficiality of his methods when the time comes to meet the real enemy- the NPP. The president Mills who now boast of wining that election by 96.9 % could not even fake a smile in celebration because he couldn’t afford to deceive himself. He is fully aware that that so-called victory was a vote against the TRUTH. And for me, judging from the just ended sham in Sunyani, the NDC is currently a pure apology of a democratic congress.
President Mills promised to unite the NDC for victory 2012. That is an admission on his part that without a united front, there can’t be victory. But even before he will walk his talk on unity, some of his supporters- perhaps with his approval- are speaking a different language. Dr. Kwabena Adjei the national chairman in an answer to a question on whether or not he thinks the Rawlings’ will break away from the NDC, sarcastically asked back ‘Do you break away with 3.1 %?’ as if to say that percentage of popularity is politically real. I sense some complacency here from the ‘cut hunter’, and am afraid for what his attitude can do to the NDC’s unity agenda. Putting him aside, other elements are leading a section of the media to sustain the campaign of lies. Ben Epson, editor of the daily dispatch whose credibility is now in doubt after it has been established that he demands money from politicians to generate so-called opinion polls in their favor is in the fore front of disunity agenda for the NDC. As if he is an amateur journalist, he has begun setting a dangerous agenda for the elements in the NDC who wish to continue to delude themselves about the demise of the Rawlings’ stature. He now claims in his newspaper that the NDC founder is making demands on president Mills and his team as conditions before joining in the campaign for 2012. He lamely quotes from a letter written by an unnamed MP to president Mills in protest of such demands. Even though spokes person for the Rawlings flatly deny this, Mr. Epson, who in 2006 primaries of the NDC demanded ten million (10m) from the Mills team to concoct a poll in their favor but was turned down still insists that Kofi Adams who speaks for the founder is less informed of these matters. Whose interest is Ben Epson pursuing? And what has been government response? Absolute silence! Let’s see how this will contribute to unity within the NDC.
Well, as they pretend they want unity and they work towards disunity, I know one thing for sure; even with founder Jerry Rawlings and the BE BOLD train on board the campaign trail, the NDC still have slim chances of winning the next general elections. Without him and NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS, going into the 2012 general election in the first place would be a non-starter. There is hope though in raising the boldness level of the NDC mass followers for 2012 general election. That hope is coming from the clarion call of the former first lady; BE BOLD! For if the NPP and NANA AKUFFO ADDO is asking their supporters to wake up for an ‘all die be die’ election, there couldn’t be any more appropriate counter clarion call on a currently cowed and timid mass followers of the NDC than for them to BE BOLD! This make the NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS factor the only hope for the NDC in 2012. Let the prudent pay heed.
SaCut Amenga-Etego
(Author was a polling agent for NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS during the NDC 2011 congress and a member of FONKAR)
Sunday, July 3, 2011
If Ghana were a Machiavellian Republic- The case of President Mills
If Ghana were a Machiavellian Republic
Everybody knows- or think they know- what Machiavelli Nicolo the Italian political philosopher’s work is about. He claimed that what Christopher Columbus did for geography, he’ll do for politics. In other words, he set out to found, discover or invent a new modern state. I set out to situate Ghana in a Machiavellian republic scenario according to my understanding of ‘the PRINCE’, his most famous book which is seen as the ‘BIBLE OF REAL POLITIK’ and whose words have guided and inspired not only modern political animals, but also business men and strategists, as the ultimate guide to winning and maintaining power in a dangerous, deceptive, disloyal, opportunistic world- the real world.
Nicolo Machiavelli grew up with parents from the Florentine nobility as an Italian power under the guidance of Lorenzo de' Medici, Il Magnifico. The downfall of the Medici in Florence occurred in 1494, bringing in the fervent and austere Savonarola who took over the rule of Florence in which year Machiavelli entered the public service. From 1494 to 1512, he held an official post at Florence which included diplomatic missions to
Various European courts. During his official career working with Savonarola, Florence was free under the government of a Republic, which lasted until 1512, when the Medici returned to power, and removed Machiavelli from his office. Savonarola’s attempt to impose a kind of THEOCRACY- a Christian republic of virtue- on the people of Florence caused loss of power to the Medici who again ruled Florence from 1512 until 1527, when they were once more driven out. After several years of practice and study of statecraft, Machiavelli has crafted the idea of the modern democratic state which many argue is a fulfillment of his promise to do for politics what Machael Angelo did for art or what Christopher Columbus did for geography (although Cristobal Columbus have been found to be a liar as the Indians and other peoples had long discovered and settled in the West indies before Columbus ever set sail).
What is the nature of the character of the PRINCE in a Machiavellian republic? In chapter VI he makes it clear that in the real world of politics, a prudent ruler must always follow in the footsteps of great men who have been outstanding. If his own prowess fails to compare with theirs, at least it has an air of greatness about it. The prudent Prince must behave like those archers who, if they are skilful, when the target seem too distant, know the capability of their bow and aim a good deal higher than their objective, not in order to shoot so high but so that by aiming high they can reach the target. Therefore, in a state where the ruler is completely a new comer -such as president Mills of Ghana- (emphasis is mine), the difficulty he encounters in maintaining his power is more or less serious insofar as he is more or less able.’ By aiming and working to prove that he is his own man; not needing to learn from those who have been outstanding such as NDC founder and former president of Ghana, can we say that President Mills have been prudent?. Again, I double doubt it. After all, Machiavellian republic, the leader believes the ‘ends will justify the means’. If president Mills discards President Rawlings his mentor to please his critics and eventually lose power as a result, could this be considered prudent? No!
According to Machiavelli, a ruler comes to power in a ‘constitutional principality’ either through his own prowess or good fortune. So that if President Mills came to power on his own prowess, then he should have no difficulty in maintaining power. However, if he came to power through good fortune- either by the aid of the nobles or the people- both of which classes exists in every polis, principality, republic or state with two opposing dispositions- the people merely wants to be left alone, not to be oppressed by the nobles whiles the nobles constantly seek to dominate and oppress the people. ‘If the people find they cannot withstand the nobles’ Mchiavelli says in chapter nine (9) of the PRINCE, ‘they increase the standing of one of their own, and they make him prince in order to be protected by his authority. The nobles in the same way if they see they cannot withstand the people, they start to increase the standing of one of their own numbers and make him prince in order to be able to achieve their own ends under his cloak’. If the people become hostile to the leader, he will surely be deserted. But if the nobles become hostile to the ruler, he must fear active opposition and resistance. Therefore, in a Machiavellian republic, the ruler must either be with the people or with the nobles to maintain his power. The prudent ruler will stand with the people who have the greatest power to increase or decrease his standing at will. Where does president Mills stand? Does he stand with the people or with the nobles? I guess he’s confused.
In Machiavelli’s code of conduct for the prudent ruler, he outlines the conduct for a leader towards subjects and friends. ‘Since it has been my intention to write something which shall be useful to him who apprehends it, it appears to me more appropriate to follow up the real truth of the matter than the imagination of it; for many have pictured republics, principalities and states such as a ‘father for all’ republic (emphasis is mine) which in fact have never been known or seen, because how one lives is so far distant from how one ought to live, that he who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation; for a man who wishes to act entirely up to his professions of virtue soon meets with what destroys him among so much that is evil’.
So: it is necessary for a leader wishing to hold his own, to know how to do wrong, and to make use of it or not according to necessity. Therefore, putting aside imaginary things concerning leaders, and discussing those which are real, Machiavelli says that all leaders when they are praised by the people or condemned, it is because one is reputed liberal, another miserly, one is reputed generous, one rapacious; one cruel, one compassionate; one faithless, another faithful; one effeminate and cowardly, another bold and brave; one affable, another haughty; one lascivious, another chaste; one sincere, another cunning; one hard, another easy; one grave, another frivolous; one religious, another unbelieving, and the like.
He goes on to say that it would be most praiseworthy in a leader to exhibit all the above qualities that are considered good; but because they can neither be entirely possessed nor observed, for human conditions do not permit it, it is necessary for him to be sufficiently prudent that he may know how to avoid the reproach of those vices which would lose him his state; and also to keep himself, if it be possible, from those which would not lose him it; but this not being possible, he may with less hesitation abandon himself to them. And again, he need not make himself uneasy at incurring a reproach for those vices without which the state can only be saved with difficulty, for if everything is considered carefully, it will be found that something which looks like virtue, if followed, would be his ruin;( such as a ‘father for all’ republic) whilst something else, which looks like vice (such as properly investigating and prosecuting killings, economic malfeasance, etc of the immediate past NPP regime plus discriminating and satisfying party foot soldiers in public jobs, contracts and appointments) yet, when followed brings him security and prosperity.
Being effeminate but cunning has drawn much condemnation to President Mills in the past two years. His imaginary ‘father for all’ virtue has ended up dividing the NDC party and truncated Ghana’s progress for over two years. His insistence on being imaginary instead of dealing with the ‘effectual truth of things’ has left him basking in moral illusions whiles the reality draws him further away from retaining his hold on power.
On whether or not leaders should keep their word, Machiavelli says in the PRINCE, ‘Every one admits how praiseworthy it is in a leader to keep faith, and to live with integrity and not with craft. Nevertheless our experience has been that those princes who have done great things have held good faith of little account, and have known how to circumvent the intellect of men by craft, and in the end have overcome those who have relied on their word. You must know there are two ways of contesting; the one by the law, the other by force; the first method is proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not sufficient, it is necessary to have recourse to the second. Therefore it is necessary for a prince to understand how to avail himself of the beast and the man. This has been figuratively taught to leaders by ancient writers, who describe how Achilles and many other princes of old were given to the Centaur Chiron (half man, half horse) to nurse, who brought them up in his discipline; which means solely that, as they had for a teacher one who was half beast and half man, so it is necessary for a leader to know how to make use of both natures, and that one without the other is not durable. A leader, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves. Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves. Those who rely simply on the lion do not understand what they are about. After all, he says, there will ever be wanting to a leader legitimate reason to excuse this non-observance. On this score, there are questions as to whether or not president Mills has succeeded in blending very well these twin natures of the Centaur Chiron to make him a complete leader capable of sustaining his power. But there is certainly no question regarding the deceiving nature of the president who has even succeeded in making people believe he is such a ‘holy’ man when indeed, he has been unable to practically demonstrate that virtue in his leadership.
But it is necessary to know well how to disguise this characteristic, and to be a great pretender and dissembler; and men are so simple, and so subject to present necessities, that he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived. One recent example I cannot pass over in silence.
Machiavelli asks in the PRINCE ‘Do you think anyone can govern innocently? By trying to avoid the problem of dirty hands, a ruler will be very naïve.’ He goes on to say that ‘those who want to enter politics must be prepared to leave their scruples at the door.’ Therefore, going by this, there is only one law in the game of politics- ‘the expediency of temporary alliances’…It is a zero sum game. There are winners and there are losers. There is the strong and BOLD REALIST who sees things the way they are, and the WEAK IDEALIST who require the comfort of moral illusions. Is a ‘father for all’ republic ideal or real? If it was real, I double doubt the NDC party and government would be in this present quagmire. Where is the real and true leadership from president Mills that should have averted all this present happenings in the NDC?
And can be explained by the quality of the appointees of the President? Many believe that President Mills took for granted the all important aspect of maintaining his power. In the PRINCE XXII, Machiavelli says, ‘the choice of servants is of no little importance to a leader, and they are good or not according to the discrimination (reshuffling) of the leader. And the first opinion which one forms of a prince, and of his understanding, is by observing the men he has around him; and when they are capable and faithful he may always be considered wise, because he has known how to recognize the capable and to keep them faithful. But when they are otherwise one cannot form a good opinion of him, for the prime error which he made was in choosing them.’ What does the people around president Mills tell us about him? Are they the most capable and intelligent or just the most loyal? ‘Because there are three classes of intellects of people to be chosen from by the leader to serve in his government from the nation: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehended; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless. In my books, there are a few people from the first class of intellect in the government of Mills. There another few people from the second class of intellect. The majority of the appointees in Mills’ government are in the third class which has been described above- a class which neither comprehends neither by itself nor by the showing of others. So: a few excellent ones, a few good, a lot of useless ones. Why then is preventing President from discriminating or as it were, reshuffling to refine and end up with an excellent team? Perhaps, when NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS wins and assumes leadership of the NDC, where she becomes an automatic member of cabinet- only then will there be a proper reshuffling in this government.
Flatterers and sycophants are a threat to anyone with power. They can eventually become usurpers. Machiavelli says ‘Flatterers are a danger from which leaders are with difficulty preserved, unless they’re very careful and discriminating, for there is no other way of a leader can safeguard himself from flatterers except letting people around you understand that to tell you the truth does not offend you; but when everyone may tell you the truth, respect for you abates’.
There is no doubt in my mind that flatterers have been a bane to President Mills’ leadership in the last two and a half years. He hasn’t done as Machiavelli said, ‘A wise leader ought to hold a third course by choosing the wise men in his state, and giving to them only the liberty of speaking the truth to him, and then only of those things of which he inquires, and of none others; but he ought to question them upon everything, and listen to their opinions, and afterwards form his own conclusions. With these councilors, separately and collectively, he ought to carry himself in such a way that each of them should know that, the more freely he shall speak, the more he shall be preferred; outside of these, he should listen to no one, pursue the thing resolved on, and be steadfast in his resolutions. He who does otherwise is either overthrown by flatterers, or is so often changed by varying opinions that he falls into contempt.’
There is again no doubt in my mind that President Mills has rather chosen to give liberty to flatterers to advise him rather than those who will tell him the ‘effectual truth’ of things. Or rather, the truth hurts president Mills so much that he prefers to be flattered. And by all indications, these flatters and usurpers such as the Ato Ahwois, the Totobi Kwakye’s, the Koku Anyidohos etc. etc,- who all have never run for political office before- as well as people like Nii Lantey Vandapuye who run for NDC national youth organizer against Haruna Iddrisu in the Bolgatanga NDC youth congress in 2004 where he miserably lost by gaining only 16 votes despite the party founder’s open opposition to the incumbent youth organizer in favor of him because of his outright incompetence- all these people are flattering him all the way to Sunyani.
These ill-advisors plus other ‘hidden hands’ are so artful at flattering that they have even managed to convince an effeminate, non-enduring and a not exactly confident and a seemingly ailing President Mills- that even though he has not been able to inspire the mass following of the NDC, he has not been BOLD, principled and resolute enough to serve justice, He has allowed the opposition NPP to continue to reign and control things, he has not been able to hold accountable past government officials like the NPP did in 2001, he has woefully failed to unify the party after dividing it, though he hasn’t had the endurance or will throughout this period of campaign to personally visit all constituencies, and would be unable to withstand the ‘all die be die’ violent tactics of the NPP in 2012- that despite all these and mores charges against Mills’ candidature, the discerning NDC delegates will retain him as leader in Sunyani at the risk of losing power in the next general elections- even if president Rawlings the NDC founder refuses to campaign for him as he has already indicated. And despite the golden opportunity the NDC delegates have in NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS the boldest candidate for the NDC to face and defeat the NPP and Nana Akuffo Addo in 2012. The delegates have seen the endurance in NANA KONADU during this period. They have felt her sincerity. They have been invigorated by her charisma. They know she is the real deal.
Therefore, if Ghana were a Machiavellian Republic, the NDC Congress in Sunyani will be the ground were the flatterers will bring President Mills to his Knees as all indication show that the honorable NDC delegates are ready to demonstrate resolutely their belief in the original and true ideals and values of the AFRC/PNDC/NDC movement by overwhelmingly endorsing the credible and BOLD NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS our only true hope for a victory in the 2012 general election.
SaCut Amenga-Etego
NDC Youth activist
Everybody knows- or think they know- what Machiavelli Nicolo the Italian political philosopher’s work is about. He claimed that what Christopher Columbus did for geography, he’ll do for politics. In other words, he set out to found, discover or invent a new modern state. I set out to situate Ghana in a Machiavellian republic scenario according to my understanding of ‘the PRINCE’, his most famous book which is seen as the ‘BIBLE OF REAL POLITIK’ and whose words have guided and inspired not only modern political animals, but also business men and strategists, as the ultimate guide to winning and maintaining power in a dangerous, deceptive, disloyal, opportunistic world- the real world.
Nicolo Machiavelli grew up with parents from the Florentine nobility as an Italian power under the guidance of Lorenzo de' Medici, Il Magnifico. The downfall of the Medici in Florence occurred in 1494, bringing in the fervent and austere Savonarola who took over the rule of Florence in which year Machiavelli entered the public service. From 1494 to 1512, he held an official post at Florence which included diplomatic missions to
Various European courts. During his official career working with Savonarola, Florence was free under the government of a Republic, which lasted until 1512, when the Medici returned to power, and removed Machiavelli from his office. Savonarola’s attempt to impose a kind of THEOCRACY- a Christian republic of virtue- on the people of Florence caused loss of power to the Medici who again ruled Florence from 1512 until 1527, when they were once more driven out. After several years of practice and study of statecraft, Machiavelli has crafted the idea of the modern democratic state which many argue is a fulfillment of his promise to do for politics what Machael Angelo did for art or what Christopher Columbus did for geography (although Cristobal Columbus have been found to be a liar as the Indians and other peoples had long discovered and settled in the West indies before Columbus ever set sail).
What is the nature of the character of the PRINCE in a Machiavellian republic? In chapter VI he makes it clear that in the real world of politics, a prudent ruler must always follow in the footsteps of great men who have been outstanding. If his own prowess fails to compare with theirs, at least it has an air of greatness about it. The prudent Prince must behave like those archers who, if they are skilful, when the target seem too distant, know the capability of their bow and aim a good deal higher than their objective, not in order to shoot so high but so that by aiming high they can reach the target. Therefore, in a state where the ruler is completely a new comer -such as president Mills of Ghana- (emphasis is mine), the difficulty he encounters in maintaining his power is more or less serious insofar as he is more or less able.’ By aiming and working to prove that he is his own man; not needing to learn from those who have been outstanding such as NDC founder and former president of Ghana, can we say that President Mills have been prudent?. Again, I double doubt it. After all, Machiavellian republic, the leader believes the ‘ends will justify the means’. If president Mills discards President Rawlings his mentor to please his critics and eventually lose power as a result, could this be considered prudent? No!
According to Machiavelli, a ruler comes to power in a ‘constitutional principality’ either through his own prowess or good fortune. So that if President Mills came to power on his own prowess, then he should have no difficulty in maintaining power. However, if he came to power through good fortune- either by the aid of the nobles or the people- both of which classes exists in every polis, principality, republic or state with two opposing dispositions- the people merely wants to be left alone, not to be oppressed by the nobles whiles the nobles constantly seek to dominate and oppress the people. ‘If the people find they cannot withstand the nobles’ Mchiavelli says in chapter nine (9) of the PRINCE, ‘they increase the standing of one of their own, and they make him prince in order to be protected by his authority. The nobles in the same way if they see they cannot withstand the people, they start to increase the standing of one of their own numbers and make him prince in order to be able to achieve their own ends under his cloak’. If the people become hostile to the leader, he will surely be deserted. But if the nobles become hostile to the ruler, he must fear active opposition and resistance. Therefore, in a Machiavellian republic, the ruler must either be with the people or with the nobles to maintain his power. The prudent ruler will stand with the people who have the greatest power to increase or decrease his standing at will. Where does president Mills stand? Does he stand with the people or with the nobles? I guess he’s confused.
In Machiavelli’s code of conduct for the prudent ruler, he outlines the conduct for a leader towards subjects and friends. ‘Since it has been my intention to write something which shall be useful to him who apprehends it, it appears to me more appropriate to follow up the real truth of the matter than the imagination of it; for many have pictured republics, principalities and states such as a ‘father for all’ republic (emphasis is mine) which in fact have never been known or seen, because how one lives is so far distant from how one ought to live, that he who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation; for a man who wishes to act entirely up to his professions of virtue soon meets with what destroys him among so much that is evil’.
So: it is necessary for a leader wishing to hold his own, to know how to do wrong, and to make use of it or not according to necessity. Therefore, putting aside imaginary things concerning leaders, and discussing those which are real, Machiavelli says that all leaders when they are praised by the people or condemned, it is because one is reputed liberal, another miserly, one is reputed generous, one rapacious; one cruel, one compassionate; one faithless, another faithful; one effeminate and cowardly, another bold and brave; one affable, another haughty; one lascivious, another chaste; one sincere, another cunning; one hard, another easy; one grave, another frivolous; one religious, another unbelieving, and the like.
He goes on to say that it would be most praiseworthy in a leader to exhibit all the above qualities that are considered good; but because they can neither be entirely possessed nor observed, for human conditions do not permit it, it is necessary for him to be sufficiently prudent that he may know how to avoid the reproach of those vices which would lose him his state; and also to keep himself, if it be possible, from those which would not lose him it; but this not being possible, he may with less hesitation abandon himself to them. And again, he need not make himself uneasy at incurring a reproach for those vices without which the state can only be saved with difficulty, for if everything is considered carefully, it will be found that something which looks like virtue, if followed, would be his ruin;( such as a ‘father for all’ republic) whilst something else, which looks like vice (such as properly investigating and prosecuting killings, economic malfeasance, etc of the immediate past NPP regime plus discriminating and satisfying party foot soldiers in public jobs, contracts and appointments) yet, when followed brings him security and prosperity.
Being effeminate but cunning has drawn much condemnation to President Mills in the past two years. His imaginary ‘father for all’ virtue has ended up dividing the NDC party and truncated Ghana’s progress for over two years. His insistence on being imaginary instead of dealing with the ‘effectual truth of things’ has left him basking in moral illusions whiles the reality draws him further away from retaining his hold on power.
On whether or not leaders should keep their word, Machiavelli says in the PRINCE, ‘Every one admits how praiseworthy it is in a leader to keep faith, and to live with integrity and not with craft. Nevertheless our experience has been that those princes who have done great things have held good faith of little account, and have known how to circumvent the intellect of men by craft, and in the end have overcome those who have relied on their word. You must know there are two ways of contesting; the one by the law, the other by force; the first method is proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not sufficient, it is necessary to have recourse to the second. Therefore it is necessary for a prince to understand how to avail himself of the beast and the man. This has been figuratively taught to leaders by ancient writers, who describe how Achilles and many other princes of old were given to the Centaur Chiron (half man, half horse) to nurse, who brought them up in his discipline; which means solely that, as they had for a teacher one who was half beast and half man, so it is necessary for a leader to know how to make use of both natures, and that one without the other is not durable. A leader, therefore, being compelled knowingly to adopt the beast, ought to choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himself against snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves. Therefore, it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves. Those who rely simply on the lion do not understand what they are about. After all, he says, there will ever be wanting to a leader legitimate reason to excuse this non-observance. On this score, there are questions as to whether or not president Mills has succeeded in blending very well these twin natures of the Centaur Chiron to make him a complete leader capable of sustaining his power. But there is certainly no question regarding the deceiving nature of the president who has even succeeded in making people believe he is such a ‘holy’ man when indeed, he has been unable to practically demonstrate that virtue in his leadership.
But it is necessary to know well how to disguise this characteristic, and to be a great pretender and dissembler; and men are so simple, and so subject to present necessities, that he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived. One recent example I cannot pass over in silence.
Machiavelli asks in the PRINCE ‘Do you think anyone can govern innocently? By trying to avoid the problem of dirty hands, a ruler will be very naïve.’ He goes on to say that ‘those who want to enter politics must be prepared to leave their scruples at the door.’ Therefore, going by this, there is only one law in the game of politics- ‘the expediency of temporary alliances’…It is a zero sum game. There are winners and there are losers. There is the strong and BOLD REALIST who sees things the way they are, and the WEAK IDEALIST who require the comfort of moral illusions. Is a ‘father for all’ republic ideal or real? If it was real, I double doubt the NDC party and government would be in this present quagmire. Where is the real and true leadership from president Mills that should have averted all this present happenings in the NDC?
And can be explained by the quality of the appointees of the President? Many believe that President Mills took for granted the all important aspect of maintaining his power. In the PRINCE XXII, Machiavelli says, ‘the choice of servants is of no little importance to a leader, and they are good or not according to the discrimination (reshuffling) of the leader. And the first opinion which one forms of a prince, and of his understanding, is by observing the men he has around him; and when they are capable and faithful he may always be considered wise, because he has known how to recognize the capable and to keep them faithful. But when they are otherwise one cannot form a good opinion of him, for the prime error which he made was in choosing them.’ What does the people around president Mills tell us about him? Are they the most capable and intelligent or just the most loyal? ‘Because there are three classes of intellects of people to be chosen from by the leader to serve in his government from the nation: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehended; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless. In my books, there are a few people from the first class of intellect in the government of Mills. There another few people from the second class of intellect. The majority of the appointees in Mills’ government are in the third class which has been described above- a class which neither comprehends neither by itself nor by the showing of others. So: a few excellent ones, a few good, a lot of useless ones. Why then is preventing President from discriminating or as it were, reshuffling to refine and end up with an excellent team? Perhaps, when NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS wins and assumes leadership of the NDC, where she becomes an automatic member of cabinet- only then will there be a proper reshuffling in this government.
Flatterers and sycophants are a threat to anyone with power. They can eventually become usurpers. Machiavelli says ‘Flatterers are a danger from which leaders are with difficulty preserved, unless they’re very careful and discriminating, for there is no other way of a leader can safeguard himself from flatterers except letting people around you understand that to tell you the truth does not offend you; but when everyone may tell you the truth, respect for you abates’.
There is no doubt in my mind that flatterers have been a bane to President Mills’ leadership in the last two and a half years. He hasn’t done as Machiavelli said, ‘A wise leader ought to hold a third course by choosing the wise men in his state, and giving to them only the liberty of speaking the truth to him, and then only of those things of which he inquires, and of none others; but he ought to question them upon everything, and listen to their opinions, and afterwards form his own conclusions. With these councilors, separately and collectively, he ought to carry himself in such a way that each of them should know that, the more freely he shall speak, the more he shall be preferred; outside of these, he should listen to no one, pursue the thing resolved on, and be steadfast in his resolutions. He who does otherwise is either overthrown by flatterers, or is so often changed by varying opinions that he falls into contempt.’
There is again no doubt in my mind that President Mills has rather chosen to give liberty to flatterers to advise him rather than those who will tell him the ‘effectual truth’ of things. Or rather, the truth hurts president Mills so much that he prefers to be flattered. And by all indications, these flatters and usurpers such as the Ato Ahwois, the Totobi Kwakye’s, the Koku Anyidohos etc. etc,- who all have never run for political office before- as well as people like Nii Lantey Vandapuye who run for NDC national youth organizer against Haruna Iddrisu in the Bolgatanga NDC youth congress in 2004 where he miserably lost by gaining only 16 votes despite the party founder’s open opposition to the incumbent youth organizer in favor of him because of his outright incompetence- all these people are flattering him all the way to Sunyani.
These ill-advisors plus other ‘hidden hands’ are so artful at flattering that they have even managed to convince an effeminate, non-enduring and a not exactly confident and a seemingly ailing President Mills- that even though he has not been able to inspire the mass following of the NDC, he has not been BOLD, principled and resolute enough to serve justice, He has allowed the opposition NPP to continue to reign and control things, he has not been able to hold accountable past government officials like the NPP did in 2001, he has woefully failed to unify the party after dividing it, though he hasn’t had the endurance or will throughout this period of campaign to personally visit all constituencies, and would be unable to withstand the ‘all die be die’ violent tactics of the NPP in 2012- that despite all these and mores charges against Mills’ candidature, the discerning NDC delegates will retain him as leader in Sunyani at the risk of losing power in the next general elections- even if president Rawlings the NDC founder refuses to campaign for him as he has already indicated. And despite the golden opportunity the NDC delegates have in NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS the boldest candidate for the NDC to face and defeat the NPP and Nana Akuffo Addo in 2012. The delegates have seen the endurance in NANA KONADU during this period. They have felt her sincerity. They have been invigorated by her charisma. They know she is the real deal.
Therefore, if Ghana were a Machiavellian Republic, the NDC Congress in Sunyani will be the ground were the flatterers will bring President Mills to his Knees as all indication show that the honorable NDC delegates are ready to demonstrate resolutely their belief in the original and true ideals and values of the AFRC/PNDC/NDC movement by overwhelmingly endorsing the credible and BOLD NANA KONADU AGYEMAN- RAWLINGS our only true hope for a victory in the 2012 general election.
SaCut Amenga-Etego
NDC Youth activist
Friday, June 3, 2011
NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS: MOTHER OF THE REVOLUTION
NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS: Mother of the revolution
Many are those Ghanaians who are completely oblivious of the seminal role women played in the success of the great revolutions of 1979-1981 in Ghana. The heroes have been counted severally and openly. The heroines have been largely ignored in the proper context of our history as a nation. Yes, there were women in Ghana who had ‘balls’ to stand up and support the efforts of those courageous and determined young men of Ghana who sought to bring back this nation unto a highway of progress and, indeed succeeded in doing so starting from in 1979 and later regaining momentum in 1981- and this was at a time many men in Ghana meekly put their tales between their legs an either hid away in foreign lands or just simply and endured the social and political disorder of the time without the courage to stand up to it.
The true history of this nation must be recorded properly. And if so, NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS for generations to come would be recognized as MOTHER OF THE REVOLUTION. She demonstrated it when her husband and hero of the revolution first attempted to pursue the agenda of change in a then morally bankrupt political ruling class whose moral decadence indeed prompted the uprising. NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS demonstrated rare qualities during that period, and which should be a political, cultural and social lesson for other women of Ghana. Many ordinary young Ghanaian women from affluent backgrounds such as NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS would ordinary have taken flight from the beginning of realizing that their husband was engaged in a mission that had a semblance of utopia and adventurism and which almost certainly had an unpleasant and expectant outcome in the almost certain event of failure- death.
NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS did not hide herself away when Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings was arrested and detained after leading the failed mutiny of may 15 1979. She did not deny him or lament her association with the young air force officer. Unlike many ordinary women, she did not lock up herself away in lamentation. Instead, just like the legendary YAA ASANTEWAA she rose to the occasion. She went about immediately organizing people who shared the ideals that are espoused by J.J. Rawlings. Some people are quick to claim credit for fighting to free Jerry Rawlings from his cell from where he awaited his predetermined faith from the then military junta- and these are people who abandoned ship at a time when the revolution really needed their talent and commitment.
Well, half a story has never been told.
NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS as wife of detained of the revolution went ahead to organize a team and more or less directed the operation that led to the freeing of her captive husband from detention and execution. She was BOLD even at that tender age to commandeer men into action that led to a successful prevention of the truncation of the revolutionary process by the corrupted ruling elements of the time who ruthlessly wanted to perpetuate their reign of degradation of the dignity of the Ghanaian people. NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS did not only play a key role in preventing any truncation, she also practically pivoted the re-engineering of the revolution in 1981 when she took on the role of giving direction and empowerment to half the population of Ghana- women- through a women’s movement (31DWM) which was her idea of affirmative action at a time male chauvinism was at it’s peak in the world society. She led a challenge to the status quo at the time when women’s role in society had been narrowly defined by the same corrupted society.
From the onset, NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS naturally rose to the occasion as MOTHER OF THE REVOLUTION. She took up her burden without qualms and against overwhelming odds. She demonstrated endurance throughout this challenge. She diligently helped to shape the foundation and direction of the revolution. I would even describe her in my books as RESCUER OF THE REVOLUTION. Why, she rescued the revolution at the beginning when she succeeded in organizing men to free her husband from detention and execution. She is here again to rescue it now that the NDC- the present vehicle to carry forward the foundational ideals of the revolution and founded based on the ideals of her husband and former President of Ghana Jerry John Rawlings- is at the verge of loosing it’s identity with a leadership of President Mills who has woefully failed to appreciate the inseparable link between adherence and loyalty to the ideals and sustenance of the movement- remember the revolution has a long way to go, and it has come to stay.
Who else will be capably equipped with the required BOLDNESS and consecrated determination to rescue the NDC in these crucial times other than NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS who ventured into this same task at a time when her husband was in detention and the risks were much more greater than today? And does she not stand an even greater chance of succeeding this time round in her rescue mission now that her legendary husband and NDC founder Jerry Rawlings is standing solidly behind her?
I have been asking this question and I’d like to ask again; isn’t it perhaps time the NDC and Ghana acknowledged NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS as MOTHER OF THE GHANAIAN REVOLUTION that put Ghana on this HIGHWAY OF PROGRESS? Perhaps that would be her crowning glory in July when she gallantly emerges as flag bearer of the NDC with its original ideals, values and principles totally uncompromised for the 2012 General election- our only hope of overcoming the planned and projected ‘all die be die’ violent tactics of NANA AKUFFO ADDO and the NPP IN 2012. It is without doubt a truism when it is said that history will always find a way to repeat itself.
Author:
SaCut Amenga-Etego
Yfl_ghana@yahoo.com
Many are those Ghanaians who are completely oblivious of the seminal role women played in the success of the great revolutions of 1979-1981 in Ghana. The heroes have been counted severally and openly. The heroines have been largely ignored in the proper context of our history as a nation. Yes, there were women in Ghana who had ‘balls’ to stand up and support the efforts of those courageous and determined young men of Ghana who sought to bring back this nation unto a highway of progress and, indeed succeeded in doing so starting from in 1979 and later regaining momentum in 1981- and this was at a time many men in Ghana meekly put their tales between their legs an either hid away in foreign lands or just simply and endured the social and political disorder of the time without the courage to stand up to it.
The true history of this nation must be recorded properly. And if so, NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS for generations to come would be recognized as MOTHER OF THE REVOLUTION. She demonstrated it when her husband and hero of the revolution first attempted to pursue the agenda of change in a then morally bankrupt political ruling class whose moral decadence indeed prompted the uprising. NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS demonstrated rare qualities during that period, and which should be a political, cultural and social lesson for other women of Ghana. Many ordinary young Ghanaian women from affluent backgrounds such as NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS would ordinary have taken flight from the beginning of realizing that their husband was engaged in a mission that had a semblance of utopia and adventurism and which almost certainly had an unpleasant and expectant outcome in the almost certain event of failure- death.
NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS did not hide herself away when Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings was arrested and detained after leading the failed mutiny of may 15 1979. She did not deny him or lament her association with the young air force officer. Unlike many ordinary women, she did not lock up herself away in lamentation. Instead, just like the legendary YAA ASANTEWAA she rose to the occasion. She went about immediately organizing people who shared the ideals that are espoused by J.J. Rawlings. Some people are quick to claim credit for fighting to free Jerry Rawlings from his cell from where he awaited his predetermined faith from the then military junta- and these are people who abandoned ship at a time when the revolution really needed their talent and commitment.
Well, half a story has never been told.
NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS as wife of detained of the revolution went ahead to organize a team and more or less directed the operation that led to the freeing of her captive husband from detention and execution. She was BOLD even at that tender age to commandeer men into action that led to a successful prevention of the truncation of the revolutionary process by the corrupted ruling elements of the time who ruthlessly wanted to perpetuate their reign of degradation of the dignity of the Ghanaian people. NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS did not only play a key role in preventing any truncation, she also practically pivoted the re-engineering of the revolution in 1981 when she took on the role of giving direction and empowerment to half the population of Ghana- women- through a women’s movement (31DWM) which was her idea of affirmative action at a time male chauvinism was at it’s peak in the world society. She led a challenge to the status quo at the time when women’s role in society had been narrowly defined by the same corrupted society.
From the onset, NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS naturally rose to the occasion as MOTHER OF THE REVOLUTION. She took up her burden without qualms and against overwhelming odds. She demonstrated endurance throughout this challenge. She diligently helped to shape the foundation and direction of the revolution. I would even describe her in my books as RESCUER OF THE REVOLUTION. Why, she rescued the revolution at the beginning when she succeeded in organizing men to free her husband from detention and execution. She is here again to rescue it now that the NDC- the present vehicle to carry forward the foundational ideals of the revolution and founded based on the ideals of her husband and former President of Ghana Jerry John Rawlings- is at the verge of loosing it’s identity with a leadership of President Mills who has woefully failed to appreciate the inseparable link between adherence and loyalty to the ideals and sustenance of the movement- remember the revolution has a long way to go, and it has come to stay.
Who else will be capably equipped with the required BOLDNESS and consecrated determination to rescue the NDC in these crucial times other than NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS who ventured into this same task at a time when her husband was in detention and the risks were much more greater than today? And does she not stand an even greater chance of succeeding this time round in her rescue mission now that her legendary husband and NDC founder Jerry Rawlings is standing solidly behind her?
I have been asking this question and I’d like to ask again; isn’t it perhaps time the NDC and Ghana acknowledged NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS as MOTHER OF THE GHANAIAN REVOLUTION that put Ghana on this HIGHWAY OF PROGRESS? Perhaps that would be her crowning glory in July when she gallantly emerges as flag bearer of the NDC with its original ideals, values and principles totally uncompromised for the 2012 General election- our only hope of overcoming the planned and projected ‘all die be die’ violent tactics of NANA AKUFFO ADDO and the NPP IN 2012. It is without doubt a truism when it is said that history will always find a way to repeat itself.
Author:
SaCut Amenga-Etego
Yfl_ghana@yahoo.com
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Mills; Heart of a coward, spirit of a sycopant
President Mills: heart of a coward, spirit of a sycophant!
Dear President Mills,
Warm regards and season’s greetings to you from one of your courageous party youth who have followed your reign and written several letters to your Excellency, expressing my most sincere views and opinions regarding the current state of affairs in the NDC party and government. I have been chastised in the past by your blind loyalists and supporters who accuse me of insolence in my open letter communications with the President of the land. I’m sure they’re confusing my plain courageous talk with insolence. Nonetheless, I have taken notice of that, and therefore will choose my words carefully, albeit succinctly.
But let it be on record; I’m not anti- Atta Mills as people have conveniently been peddling around. I have simply been against many of your decisions, actions/or inactions, choices and utterances based on the principles that I know should guide you as president from the NDC party. I believe in giving people the chance to try. I have voted for Prof Mills since 2004 and I will vote for you again if in the unlikely event that NDC delegates genuinely decide on July 8 that you should continue to lead the NDC to 2012 general election because, then, my loyalty to the NDC will leave me with no choice. But I’m working against that happening because I believe you have tried your very best but your effort is not enough and your aptitude on the job has been appalling- to say the least. Your mandate cannot be renewed by any prudent people- unless we want disastrous results in the 2012 general election. The NDC party can offer better leadership to Ghanaians than that which we get from you President Mills right now.
Mr. President, the last time I wrote to you was mainly to lament your impregnable resolve to ignore wise counsel and unarguably rich experience from the NDC founder and former Ghanaian President Jerry John Rawlings- the man who gave your greatest opportunity to political office. I also decried the last time obvious instances of your attempt to shift away – insensitively- from the very fundamental ideals, values, principles or moral virtues that form the bedrock of the NDC of which you lead incompetently right now.
I particularly challenged your Excellency to openly demonstrate your loyalty and conviction to the NDC ideals. I even suggested to the chagrin of your blind supporters and avowed loyalists that your NDC ID card is taken away from you by the party’s secretariat for treating the NDC ideals with disdain. I still stand by this today because the situation has only gotten worse. Only this time, I’m asking the NDC delegates to reject your bid to perpetuate your reign of ineptitude.
Mr. President, it is also obvious that you’re exploiting religion- or Christianity- as ‘opium of the masses’ to create the false impression in the minds of Ghanaians that you’re a good man, and the rest of us who are making different suggestions including the NDC founder are bad people. I’m not sure what moral code that guides your leadership decisions which encourages you to shake hands with the murderers in our society? I don’t know which moral code guides you to sit down with the plunderers of our national resources? I don’t know Mr. President what moral code guides you to hang your opponent’s or enemy’s picture on your wall and regard him as your hero? What moral code encourages you to abandon your original context, even denying the sacrifices of your benefactors prior to your assumption of office as president? What moral code teaches you to refuse to keep your word to the people whose benevolence put you in office, and yet, expecting unconditional following? What I know is what an Italian political philosopher said that ‘those who enter politics must be prepared to leave their scruples at the door’.
Yes, by all means, let God help you fight. And yes, let God be your guide for ultimate goodness. But like King David in the Bible who went to fight Goliath the Philistine giant with ‘guidance from God’, he still went to battle with a sling and a stone- even a knife so he could cut off the head after killing Goliath- just in case. That was King David’s idea. Not God’s. Yet God was with him. President Mills where are your ‘own arms’ to succeed as president apart from God’s guidance? I don’t believe you have any, and that’s why you should be giving way now for a new leader of the NDC.
I want to ask you Mr. President; have you ever had your Chief murdered in broad day light before your very own eyes? Or your brother brutally murdered in military detention for exercising his right of political association and without any justice? Have you ever been sacked from your job, and your wife and children unable to feed, and are destitute for a bed to sleep all because you believed and espoused the ideals and principles of the National Democratic Congress or because you don’t belong to the New Patriotic Party? Have you ever gone homeless from not paying your rent because you worked for GHANA AIRWAYS which got run down and liquidated by public/NPP government officials based purely on avarice and who shared the state assets among themselves and set up their own private caricature called GHANA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES? If you have not Mr. President, then you are not a judge of those who have- the people you have denied. But if you have, and yet, you still shake hands with these murderers and plunderers, saboteurs and pure criminals then Mr. President you don’t deserve your title- in my books. And any leaders who do this obviously have the heart of a coward and the spirit of a sycophant. That answers why Mr. President, you only listen to those who sing your praises and you disregard- with disdain- some of us who refuse to flatter you since it is neither in our nature nor nurture to do so.
I hope you are not surprised at the level of internal resistance to your reign of exclusionism, unfaithfulness, ingratitude, vindictiveness, disloyalty or rather obscene loyalty, betrayal and usurpation, lack of courage to do what is prudent? I sincerely hope you couldn’t be naïve to assume that after all this betrayal; the people will remain unquestionably loyal? You choose to align yourself with the few nobles around you- preferring to please them and prove your ‘manliness’ and independence.
The power came to you from the people and you can’t resist it when they’re forced by your actions to desert you. Not even your orchestrated farcical nationwide endorsements from a few ‘squealers’ in your team can sway the power of the people. This resistance is coming in the form of a whirlwind in a storm. And it is led by the youth with a consecrated determination to restore integrity, loyalty and unity. We also intend to make history in the process. Between and above all, this resistance, unprecedented as it may be, should lead to the restoration of the TRUE NDC VALUES without compromise- those that you have conveniently buried since you became president.
What sort of people have you surrounded yourself with Mr. President? Are these the finest people you can find to help you achieve your goals? Or these are the loudest praise singers? How can these people say in opposition that they want to change the ‘revolutionary vocabulary’ of the NDC through the ‘new NDC’ where words like ‘CADRES’ were replaced in our manifesto language with ‘FOOT SOLDIERS’ (one who fights principally on foot, not a vehicle) and today in power; these same people including the Vice President John Mahama, National chairman Dr. Kwabena Adjei, Nii Lantey Vanderpure, James Agyenim Boateng and many others have publicly posited that the people called FOOT SOLDIERS don’t exist and that it is completely alien to the NDC. They now say that the mass followers of the party are known as CADRES and not FOOT SOLDIERS. They want to wish away the people who gave you power by changing their name. They’re so idle they now even play with words. Convenient! What sort of CADRES who disassociate themselves with June4 anniversary Or 31 DEC. movement anniversary commemoration? Then which revolution are you defending? Is this the so-called ‘new NDC’ who think that sitting in vehicles with president Mills and moving around the country make them the greatest contributors to the NDC 2008 victory and therefore deserve the most privileges and courtesies under this administration- greater than those who made it on FOOT, organized on the ground, walked from house to house and bringing the crowds to listen to the message and faced all the hostilities of the opponent, and kept the vigil at every polling station around the nation on election night to ensure the sanctity of the ballot. How much more naïve can your team become? Please tell Koku Anyidoho to redirect his 'mis-communications' from the castle.
The bid of NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS is a necessary and natural response to the resistance being put up at the grass roots against your establishment. Someone must rise to the occasion- and timely too. And I believe the woman can do it, which is what we all want- someone who can do it. The resistance is not coming from the AIRWAVES. And that is why is it not only futile, but a waste of everybody’s time to try to quell the people’s resistance from the AIRWAVES and/or mass media with these farcical endorsements. In my books, these panic reactions from day one when the signs began to appear on the walls of an eminent challenge to the NDC leadership only exposes President Mills as an effeminate leader who definitely does not inspire, and is not admired by the mass followers of the NDC including myself. This gives more credence to the need to change leadership in our party, to go for a stronger, more courageous personality we can trust.
Mr. President, There are those few who flatter you and will continue to do so. They have been flattering you all along in order not to lose their crumbs. What you needed to do was to listen to the unflattering voices within the party- the true voices that gave and can take away the power from you. But your own nature and your flatterers have succeeded in disallowing you from remembering this important TRUTH. And now Mr. President, you have to find the words in the spirit of TRUE DEMOCRACY to convince the delegates of the NDC on why you should not be rejected and ostracized by the party for giving us a cowardly heart and a sycophantic spirit for leadership. And please Mr. President, you cannot find refuge in ‘MONEYCRACY’ because the soul of the NDC is not for sale.
Courageously yours,
SaCut Amemnga-Etego (YFL General Secretary and NDC Youth activist)
020-726 7072
Yfl_ghana@yahoo.com
Dear President Mills,
Warm regards and season’s greetings to you from one of your courageous party youth who have followed your reign and written several letters to your Excellency, expressing my most sincere views and opinions regarding the current state of affairs in the NDC party and government. I have been chastised in the past by your blind loyalists and supporters who accuse me of insolence in my open letter communications with the President of the land. I’m sure they’re confusing my plain courageous talk with insolence. Nonetheless, I have taken notice of that, and therefore will choose my words carefully, albeit succinctly.
But let it be on record; I’m not anti- Atta Mills as people have conveniently been peddling around. I have simply been against many of your decisions, actions/or inactions, choices and utterances based on the principles that I know should guide you as president from the NDC party. I believe in giving people the chance to try. I have voted for Prof Mills since 2004 and I will vote for you again if in the unlikely event that NDC delegates genuinely decide on July 8 that you should continue to lead the NDC to 2012 general election because, then, my loyalty to the NDC will leave me with no choice. But I’m working against that happening because I believe you have tried your very best but your effort is not enough and your aptitude on the job has been appalling- to say the least. Your mandate cannot be renewed by any prudent people- unless we want disastrous results in the 2012 general election. The NDC party can offer better leadership to Ghanaians than that which we get from you President Mills right now.
Mr. President, the last time I wrote to you was mainly to lament your impregnable resolve to ignore wise counsel and unarguably rich experience from the NDC founder and former Ghanaian President Jerry John Rawlings- the man who gave your greatest opportunity to political office. I also decried the last time obvious instances of your attempt to shift away – insensitively- from the very fundamental ideals, values, principles or moral virtues that form the bedrock of the NDC of which you lead incompetently right now.
I particularly challenged your Excellency to openly demonstrate your loyalty and conviction to the NDC ideals. I even suggested to the chagrin of your blind supporters and avowed loyalists that your NDC ID card is taken away from you by the party’s secretariat for treating the NDC ideals with disdain. I still stand by this today because the situation has only gotten worse. Only this time, I’m asking the NDC delegates to reject your bid to perpetuate your reign of ineptitude.
Mr. President, it is also obvious that you’re exploiting religion- or Christianity- as ‘opium of the masses’ to create the false impression in the minds of Ghanaians that you’re a good man, and the rest of us who are making different suggestions including the NDC founder are bad people. I’m not sure what moral code that guides your leadership decisions which encourages you to shake hands with the murderers in our society? I don’t know which moral code guides you to sit down with the plunderers of our national resources? I don’t know Mr. President what moral code guides you to hang your opponent’s or enemy’s picture on your wall and regard him as your hero? What moral code encourages you to abandon your original context, even denying the sacrifices of your benefactors prior to your assumption of office as president? What moral code teaches you to refuse to keep your word to the people whose benevolence put you in office, and yet, expecting unconditional following? What I know is what an Italian political philosopher said that ‘those who enter politics must be prepared to leave their scruples at the door’.
Yes, by all means, let God help you fight. And yes, let God be your guide for ultimate goodness. But like King David in the Bible who went to fight Goliath the Philistine giant with ‘guidance from God’, he still went to battle with a sling and a stone- even a knife so he could cut off the head after killing Goliath- just in case. That was King David’s idea. Not God’s. Yet God was with him. President Mills where are your ‘own arms’ to succeed as president apart from God’s guidance? I don’t believe you have any, and that’s why you should be giving way now for a new leader of the NDC.
I want to ask you Mr. President; have you ever had your Chief murdered in broad day light before your very own eyes? Or your brother brutally murdered in military detention for exercising his right of political association and without any justice? Have you ever been sacked from your job, and your wife and children unable to feed, and are destitute for a bed to sleep all because you believed and espoused the ideals and principles of the National Democratic Congress or because you don’t belong to the New Patriotic Party? Have you ever gone homeless from not paying your rent because you worked for GHANA AIRWAYS which got run down and liquidated by public/NPP government officials based purely on avarice and who shared the state assets among themselves and set up their own private caricature called GHANA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES? If you have not Mr. President, then you are not a judge of those who have- the people you have denied. But if you have, and yet, you still shake hands with these murderers and plunderers, saboteurs and pure criminals then Mr. President you don’t deserve your title- in my books. And any leaders who do this obviously have the heart of a coward and the spirit of a sycophant. That answers why Mr. President, you only listen to those who sing your praises and you disregard- with disdain- some of us who refuse to flatter you since it is neither in our nature nor nurture to do so.
I hope you are not surprised at the level of internal resistance to your reign of exclusionism, unfaithfulness, ingratitude, vindictiveness, disloyalty or rather obscene loyalty, betrayal and usurpation, lack of courage to do what is prudent? I sincerely hope you couldn’t be naïve to assume that after all this betrayal; the people will remain unquestionably loyal? You choose to align yourself with the few nobles around you- preferring to please them and prove your ‘manliness’ and independence.
The power came to you from the people and you can’t resist it when they’re forced by your actions to desert you. Not even your orchestrated farcical nationwide endorsements from a few ‘squealers’ in your team can sway the power of the people. This resistance is coming in the form of a whirlwind in a storm. And it is led by the youth with a consecrated determination to restore integrity, loyalty and unity. We also intend to make history in the process. Between and above all, this resistance, unprecedented as it may be, should lead to the restoration of the TRUE NDC VALUES without compromise- those that you have conveniently buried since you became president.
What sort of people have you surrounded yourself with Mr. President? Are these the finest people you can find to help you achieve your goals? Or these are the loudest praise singers? How can these people say in opposition that they want to change the ‘revolutionary vocabulary’ of the NDC through the ‘new NDC’ where words like ‘CADRES’ were replaced in our manifesto language with ‘FOOT SOLDIERS’ (one who fights principally on foot, not a vehicle) and today in power; these same people including the Vice President John Mahama, National chairman Dr. Kwabena Adjei, Nii Lantey Vanderpure, James Agyenim Boateng and many others have publicly posited that the people called FOOT SOLDIERS don’t exist and that it is completely alien to the NDC. They now say that the mass followers of the party are known as CADRES and not FOOT SOLDIERS. They want to wish away the people who gave you power by changing their name. They’re so idle they now even play with words. Convenient! What sort of CADRES who disassociate themselves with June4 anniversary Or 31 DEC. movement anniversary commemoration? Then which revolution are you defending? Is this the so-called ‘new NDC’ who think that sitting in vehicles with president Mills and moving around the country make them the greatest contributors to the NDC 2008 victory and therefore deserve the most privileges and courtesies under this administration- greater than those who made it on FOOT, organized on the ground, walked from house to house and bringing the crowds to listen to the message and faced all the hostilities of the opponent, and kept the vigil at every polling station around the nation on election night to ensure the sanctity of the ballot. How much more naïve can your team become? Please tell Koku Anyidoho to redirect his 'mis-communications' from the castle.
The bid of NANA KONADU AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS is a necessary and natural response to the resistance being put up at the grass roots against your establishment. Someone must rise to the occasion- and timely too. And I believe the woman can do it, which is what we all want- someone who can do it. The resistance is not coming from the AIRWAVES. And that is why is it not only futile, but a waste of everybody’s time to try to quell the people’s resistance from the AIRWAVES and/or mass media with these farcical endorsements. In my books, these panic reactions from day one when the signs began to appear on the walls of an eminent challenge to the NDC leadership only exposes President Mills as an effeminate leader who definitely does not inspire, and is not admired by the mass followers of the NDC including myself. This gives more credence to the need to change leadership in our party, to go for a stronger, more courageous personality we can trust.
Mr. President, There are those few who flatter you and will continue to do so. They have been flattering you all along in order not to lose their crumbs. What you needed to do was to listen to the unflattering voices within the party- the true voices that gave and can take away the power from you. But your own nature and your flatterers have succeeded in disallowing you from remembering this important TRUTH. And now Mr. President, you have to find the words in the spirit of TRUE DEMOCRACY to convince the delegates of the NDC on why you should not be rejected and ostracized by the party for giving us a cowardly heart and a sycophantic spirit for leadership. And please Mr. President, you cannot find refuge in ‘MONEYCRACY’ because the soul of the NDC is not for sale.
Courageously yours,
SaCut Amemnga-Etego (YFL General Secretary and NDC Youth activist)
020-726 7072
Yfl_ghana@yahoo.com
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